After satellite glitch, Qiniq’s Gjoa Haven customers get their money back

After enduring poor service for more than a month, many Qiniq internet customers in Gjoa Haven will get their money back in the form of a credit to be applied to their next bill, the company’s president said this week.

Jeff Phillip, the founder and CEO of Qiniq’s parent company, SSi Micro, conveyed the information in a personal letter of apology sent on Feb. 12 to its customers in Gjoa Haven.

Due to a problem that led to insufficient satellite capacity in Gjoa Haven, multiple Qiniq customers suffered poor internet performance between Dec. 20 and Jan. 30, Phillip said.

After the company, with the help of some Gjoa Haven residents, discovered the problem on Jan. 24, they flew technicians in to fix it. They finished that work on Jan. 30.

“We are very aware of the crucial role the Internet has for all Nunavummiut, and offer our sincere apologies for this failure,” Phillip said.

Each customer who suffered a service impairment will get a pro-rated service credit based on the number of days on which they experienced problems.

The company will automatically apply that credit to customer bills, the letter said.

“I would like to extend my personal appreciation for your patience, and I truly hope the credit can help, at least in some part, to rebuild your trust in us, and that we will continue to earn your business in the future,” Phillip said.

Meanwhile, SSi Micro said it will continue to push for access to Northwestel’s publicly subsidized satellite-based network, which recently kicked off with the help of a $49.9-million contribution from the federal government’s Connect to Innovate program.

“This capacity was made possible by a federal government investment for the benefit of all Nunavut consumers, and as such is to be open to all Nunavut internet service providers on a wholesale basis,” Phillip said.

“We are making concerted efforts to get access to this new backbone so that we may improve service levels to all Qiniq customers.”

Earlier this year, SSi had expressed alarm at statements made last November by Northwestel boss Curtis Shaw, who told a parliamentary committee that he believes federal subsidy recipients should not be obliged to offer wholesale access to bandwidth.

Northwestel later clarified that statement, saying Shaw’s stated position does not apply to the new Tamarmik Nunaliit network that Northwestel is creating with the help of Ottawa’s $49.9-million contribution.

“We hope you will continue to support us because Nunavummiut deserve better,” Phillip said in his letter.