by It was the third time the horror for members of the PEI legislative committee who wanted to hear from Robert Ghiz about the state of cellular service on the Island.
The former Prince Edward Island premier is now president and CEO of the Canadian Telecommunications Association, which represents cellular providers Bell, Eastlink and Rogers.
The standing committee on education and economic growth has twice previously asked Ghiz to answer questions about how and when PEI’s cell service can be improved. He even went so far as to threaten to surrender after the last meeting in early January.
When Ghiz finally spoke to the committee remotely from Ottawa on Tuesday, he repeatedly said provincial governments should look to partner with private providers to improve service.
Former PEI chief executive and current Canadian Telecommunications Association president Robert Ghiz told MLAs the provincial government should help fund new cellular networks and towers. ( PEI Legislative Assembly )
“If I were to make one recommendation I would encourage you [P.E.I.] The Department of Economic Development will continue to work with telecommunications providers using examples in other provinces to find best practices to develop ways to fill the gaps – not just in coverage, but in terms of capacity,” he said. .
More people, system under pressure
The problems with PEI’s cellular service are obvious. The province’s population is growing rapidly and more people are using phones for data-intensive things like streaming videos that strain the networks.
The committee of MLAs previously heard that the province is using outdated technology. Modern 5G service is only used for mobile data in PEI, and voice calls are split between the old 4G network and the even older 3G network.
The result? Dropped calls or no service in places.
Data from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission shows that about 60 per cent of Islanders have access to 5G cellular networks, but rural PEI is still mostly covered by 4G or even 3G service. (PEI Legislative Assembly)
This is more prevalent in rural communities, where a colleague who appeared alongside Ghiz told the committee that it is not always economically feasible for private providers to build cell towers to make things work better.
The association’s senior vice president, Eric Smith, said the telecommunications industry is building more capacity, but that will take time.
‘Building new cellular service towers in rural areas comes down to money,’ says Eric Smith, senior vice-president of the Canadian Telecommunications Association. (PEI Legislative Assembly)
“It comes down to money. [Reaching] Those areas that are underserved or underserved need funding,” said Smith.
However, he said: “Improvements are being made. Of course, they cannot all be done at the same time … but there is ongoing investment to improve the capacity and performance of the infrastructure.”
‘I agree with what you are saying’
Ghiz and Smith shared industry data with those present at the committee hearing that suggested that one out of every 300 or 400 calls on PEI is being dropped, a statistic Smith called “normal or acceptable.”
MLAs on the committee suggested that the number of calls dropped is closer to one in four – with Ghiz backing them.
I still live in PEI so, whether I should or not, I agree with what you are saying. — Robert Ghiz
“I still live in PEI, so whether I should or not, I agree with what you’re saying,” said Ghiz, who was the province’s Liberal premier from 2007 to 2015.
“There’s probably a lot of calls going on in areas that aren’t dropped calls, and I’d say most of the places you see the dropped calls are … while you’re driving.”
At one point, committee chairman Brad Trivers asked for data, timelines or something else solid to ensure their service to Islanders improves.
He did not receive those assurances, with Ghiz repeating that the provincial government must help fund new towers and networks alongside the private sector.
