Held 'hostage' by internet provider, rural customer's satellite service to be restored

Since moving to Gracefield, Que., from Saskatchewan last year, Joanne Toth, 54, has tried to keep in touch with family and friends.

A favourite cousin, Uda, lives in Germany. Other friends and relatives are spread across Canada, connected only by email and social media.

But in January, Toth's satellite internet service went dark and put an end to virtually all of her online activity. The Xplornet service has returned sporadically for a day or two at a time, but not consistently enough that Toth and her housemate Jo Tremblay can rely on it.

As in many rural regions of Canada, conventional cable internet service isn't available where Toth lives.

'Not having that contact is hard'

Last month Toth discovered her best friend in Moose Jaw had been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack, but she only learned the news after she checked her email while visiting a friend's house.

"Hearing that news late, really upset me," she said. "I don't care about anything right now but being able to talk to my friends and family. Not having that contact is hard."

Toth believes snow sliding off her roof back in January knocked the Xplornet dish out of alignment with its 4G satellite, and also caused a leak in her metal roof. She began calling the company shortly after.

Two months and numerous calls later, Toth was told she'd have to pay outstanding bills for January, February and March — a total of about $290 after tax — plus a $125 service call. She says she was also warned she might have to pay a fuel surcharge as part of the technician's visit to her home 90 kilometres north of Gatineau.

Balked at bill 

Toth, who is on a fixed income, balked at paying for internet service she's barely been able to use. 

Xplornet is holding me hostage.- Joanne Toth

"Xplornet is holding me hostage," she said.

CBC contacted the company on Thursday about Toth's situation. Spokesman Morten Paulsen said it wasn't Xplornet policy to charge for service not received, or to insist on the pre-payment for a technician's visit. The company promised to look into Toth's situation.

What a difference a day makes.

Company comes through 

On Friday Toth said the company phoned her to say it would waive her bills for January, February and March. She said a woman identifying herself as an executive with Xplornet phoned with a personal apology and vowed to send a technician to fix not only the dish, but also the leak in her roof.

Toth said she's looking forward to getting back online, but said the circumstances leave her unimpressed.

"I'm not happy. They're more worried about the dollar figures than they are about the people."

"All of a sudden this is change - 'We're not going to charge you, we're going to get a different dealer to come out and fix it'. Does it take a phone call [to CBC] to get things done? It shouldn't take that. It should happen automatically."

Though Xplornet didn't want to discuss the details of Toth's complaint, they said a technician will be visiting the house sometime in the next week, and won't be charging to get the home back online again.