Statement by Linda Smith, Shadow Minister of Seniors, Environment & Sustainability
One Bermuda Alliance MP Linda Smith is calling on the Regulatory Authority to update regulations pertaining to standards of engagement required from telecom companies communicating with their customers on issues affecting service.
She says it is not acceptable for those providing essential services to hide behind AI personalities and apps to isolate customers from information on the status of services they are paying for.
Ms. Smith says the inability to access internet service goes beyond being inconvenient: “Internet is the connection point for vital everyday access to multiple services including banking, bill paying, home security, government information, booking and managing medical and other appointments, access to television and news, travel and general contact with the outside world.”
She adds that since moving to fibre optic, landline telephone services, which used to operate separately from the internet, now requires internet supply.
“In Bermuda the cost of the internet is amongst the most expensive in the world, which makes it even more unacceptable for service providers to hide behind technology that subjects customers to one-way, stressful techno spirals in order to report service outages and try to get information about service restoration.”
Ms. Smith says there needs to be appropriate service standards that ensure customer outage reports are confirmed – as received. There should also be access to locally based, human customer service representatives whose job it is to answer the phone and provide timely and accurate service information.
“I believe we have reached a point where service standards need to be updated to reflect present experiences and protect customers from being deliberately ignored.
“Upwards of 25% of our population are senior citizens, many of whom are themselves isolated and rely on limited know-how to access internet for entertainment, information, services and contact with family and friends. Certainly, it cannot be morally acceptable to make access for them more difficult to navigate and completely impersonal. Nor should customers be expected to physically travel to the office of the service provider to get information and answers. That is not progress. Bermuda deserves better. I hope that the RA will see fit to take this on.”
