Hey, citywest... screw you

General Forums Prince Rupert Forum
1

Let me preface this rant with this statement:

I rarely complain about service outages and in fact am generally one of the first people to defend a company when they have a minor or major outage stating nobody is perfect and shit happens. After all my services have had outages before as well and I’d be a hypocrite if i didnt expect the odd service interruption from others.

However it is pretty evident citywest has some major equipment problems or a major incompetence problem as my data services have approximately 60% uptime which is absolutely fucking unacceptable everywhere except maybe the third world (which has newer technology than citywest in most cases). I dont expect five 9’s uptime but for fuck sakes at least 90% uptime guys what the hell is going on over there?

My data services havent worked all day meaning I missed important monitoring alerts. Luckily it wasnt my systems that failed causing the outage or I would have had to explain myself to an angry customer that would be wondering what their monthly monitoring service charge covers. I realize ‘nobody wants data services in prince rupert’ and I am apparently nobody to you but I am fucking tired of this bullshit. I was going to pay my internet bill today (the only money you get from me because It’s my only choice for now) but I had to deal with this situation so now you assholes can wait.

I’m not one of your cellular customers but a customer of one of your very large ‘partners’ and will be complaining very loudly to them in the hopes others do as well and they cancel their partnership with you. I’m sure they are planning to once evdo is phased out because they already have HSPA here and not in partnership with you as far as I know.

In fact I would be complaining loudly to your ‘partner’ right now if you guys knew how to program phone system options. Apparently you guys dont understand how to make *67 work nor *611 or * anything for that matter. I’m not a phone guy by trade but jesus christ this stuff isnt rocket science.

Get your act together or die citywest, I once was a very happy customer, Now I hate you with a passion.

2

oh wonderful apparently 50% of my phone calls don’t work either. Awesome. ‘call failed’ redial the number and it works, dial a new number ‘call failed’ redial the new number and it works. apparently citywest is implementing a failsafe to help prevent wrong numbers. You now have to dial every number twice just to make sure.

3

Maybe they plugged the cable into the wrong place. Been known to happen at Citywest.

4

Wouldnt surprise me with the way their tech acted when he came to hook up my cable. Hard to see well with your head up your ass.

5

Wow that really is a bit ridiculous.

I am sorry you are having such problems…have you tried calling them and complaining about this? If you are nice when you call you might get something for free or a discount.

6

Ha not likely, probably get nothing more than rudeness from know nothings and know it all’s if you catch my drift .

7

[quote=“bthedog”]Wow that really is a bit ridiculous.

I am sorry you are having such problems…have you tried calling them and complaining about this? If you are nice when you call you might get something for free or a discount.[/quote]

I’m not their customer so no discounts for me and they wont care either. Unfortunately for me the only thing I can do is complain to my provider and hope they break their partnership with citywest which is pretty unlikely. I really hope they do break their partnership. If they did any citywest phone would be roaming outside of prince rupert. In all likelihood I’ll end up upgrading my phone to one that uses hspa and be done with it albiet at a cost of hundreds of dollars… anyone know of smart phones other than an iphone that offers free tethering? I’d really like to ditch citywest completely. I’d prefer an android phone but would look at other options.

8

Soooo… Can someone explain to me why the City is still trying to stay in the telecommunications business competing against the likes of Bell, Telus & Rogers?

Unlike Citywest, I have a choice whether I want to invest in Rogers, Telus or Bell. Our former mayor pulled a cute procedural trick to avoid public debate on spinning CityTel off, purchasing a cable company and expansion outside of Prince Rupert. It’s been close to five years now since that happened and it would be interesting to see whether City West under the management of Mr. Brown and Mr. Howie have achieved the original objectives in the secret business plans that few citizens have seen.

Oh crap… I forgot… the ability to communcate with your constituents, transparency and accountability are qualities that are in short supply at city hall.

9

Can someone clarify something for me?

Citywest customers didn’t have cell service during the blackout, right? It was because some piece of equipment was miswired at Citywest.

But I thought Citywest didn’t actually run its own cellular network anymore, that it was run by Northwestel/Bell?

10

[quote=“MiG”]Can someone clarify something for me?

Citywest customers didn’t have cell service during the blackout, right? It was because some piece of equipment was miswired at Citywest.

But I thought Citywest didn’t actually run its own cellular network anymore, that it was run by Northwestel/Bell?[/quote]

or maybe they just lease the gear from northwestel/bell? sounds more plausible that citywest leases and configures it themselves since bell is capable of having more than 60% uptime on the rest of their massive cell network. Seems sort of odd that they would do a ‘good’ job on the rest of the country including other podunk towns but completely fuck the dog when it comes to rupert.

11

Data services finally came back up, another ~12 hours without data thanks citywest.

12

I just got 20 or so emails. My last one had been at 12:30.
Stuff happens, it didn’t affect me financially so no worries. I’ve always had good customer service with their staff but the duplicate voice mails and days late texts that happen every month or so can be frustrating.

13

[quote=“photoguy”]

I just got 20 or so emails. My last one had been at 12:30.[/quote]

That’s ok you didn’t want data services anyway.

Seriously though citywest customers have you ever been given an explanation for these outages?

Is some dumb shit playing around with settings or is it an equipment failure? load issue? configuration failure? Citywest employees do you not have a troubleshooting procedure that involves actual troubleshooting and resolving of the issue instead of ‘reboot’ ‘fixed’?

Is citywest being run by apes? if so were they at least somewhat intelligent apes imported from the planet of the apes? Seriously when I was managing a technical services dept we had actual standards, procedures, escalation and problem resolution. If someone continually did the quick ‘fix’ by rebooting the machine and calling the issue resolved they’d get a warning then they’d get fired for failure to do their damn job and we started out as a much smaller shop that citywest.

Also someone answer me about the hspa phones with free tethering that are not iphones. I do not want an iphone.

14

have u ever posted anything positive other than the birth of your child or do you hate everything in life?

people have to get over their hate in citywest if there was another service they have problems also just more people here are on citywest so u hear more complaints. and they are in a transition period going towards new technology . power outages affect equipment etc

15

[quote=“decker”]have u ever posted anything positive other than the birth of your child or do you hate everything in life?

people have to get over their hate in citywest if there was another service they have problems also just more people here are on citywest so u hear more complaints. and they are in a transition period going towards new technology . power outages affect equipment etc[/quote]

  1. read my previous post where I stated this is a continual issue that neither my provider nor citywest wishes to deal with correctly or at all. The issue is with citywests network not my providers however my provider needs to enforce the standard of service which you can bet your ass is in their contract with citywest. I do not generally complain but this issue is becoming very onerous and is now risking my business dealings an unacceptable situation for me.

  2. I have used other services (rogers, bell, telus) for extended periods of time (years) and while there were issues they were nowhere near the frequency or the duration of citywests outages.

  3. The technology I am using is OLD stable technology if they are implementing new technology and their technicians are not capable of implementing the new technology without compromising the stability of their older technology then maybe they should hire more competent technicians. We all know they pay their current techs enough.

  4. Power outages should not affect equipment except in the case of a catastrophic failure. Generators, transfer switches and ups equipment should be tested on a regular basis. If citywest wants to play with the big boys they need to step up their game or move aside and let the big boys play.

I know a lot about this industry I know how it is supposed to run and I am very aware of the real life scenarios that can come up. I’m also very aware of the signs of poor management, poor incident response, poor issue resolution and poor disaster recovery planning. Citywest suffers from all of these things and quite frankly it pisses me off because there was a time where they were the shit.

Now if you want to critique me for being an asshole on the internet go right ahead but dont you think for a second I’m going to sit by and let you get away ridiculing my very valid complaints about this poorly managed company.

Oh and I quite like my life thank you very much.

16

[quote=“jesus”]

I just got 20 or so emails. My last one had been at 12:30.
That’s ok you didn’t want data services anyway.

Seriously though citywest customers have you ever been given an explanation for these outages?

Is some dumb shit playing around with settings or is it an equipment failure? load issue? configuration failure? Citywest employees do you not have a troubleshooting procedure that involves actual troubleshooting and resolving of the issue instead of ‘reboot’ ‘fixed’?

Is citywest being run by apes? if so were they at least somewhat intelligent apes imported from the planet of the apes? Seriously when I was managing a technical services dept we had actual standards, procedures, escalation and problem resolution. If someone continually did the quick ‘fix’ by rebooting the machine and calling the issue resolved they’d get a warning then they’d get fired for failure to do their damn job and we started out as a much smaller shop that citywest.

Also someone answer me about the hspa phones with free tethering that are not iphones. I do not want an iphone.[/quote]

No no no Jesus, didn’t you realise??? It’s your phone/computer/router’s fault, Citywest has AMAZING service and they couldn’t POSSIBLY be at fault for something like that. It’s obviously on your end…

rolls eyes

17

Let’s just be honest, and say that city west is definatly a dying breed !

18

By “there was a time where they were the shit” I’m assuming you are referring to a time when they were a department of the city run by Mr. Bruce Kerr and the public owners were kept informed by regular reports to council. This all seemed to change in 2005 when the former Mayor and council spun off the assets of City Tel and then sprang the following surprise on the citizens of Prince Rupert.

[quote=“Mayor Herb Pond”]
For Immediate Release: August 11, 2005

CityTel becomes independent and expands service in northern BC
Prince Rupert telecommunications company acquires Monarch cable systems

Prince Rupert, BC – CityTel announced today its independence from the City of Prince Rupert with a new entity and name – City West Group of Companies – and that City West has reached an agreement to acquire the northern British Columbia cable business and assets of Monarch Cablesystems Ltd. The $23.5 million transaction will close August 31, 2005.

“This is an exciting time for the people of northern British Columbia,” said Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond. “Northerners are now being served by a truly local telecommunications and cable company. The acquisition means that customers in our region will soon be receiving the same advanced cable and telecommunications services as those south of us.”

Formerly a City department providing telecommunications to Prince Rupert, CityTel’s assets have now been transferred to the new, independent entity City West Group of Companies. This group includes City West Telephone, City West Cable, City West Mobility and City West Fibre. The City of Prince Rupert is the sole shareholder of the City West Cable & Telephone Corporation, the holding company for the City West Group of Companies.

Monarch’s systems expand City West’s service area from Prince Rupert to Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers, Houston, Hazelton, Telkwa, Port Edward and Stewart. This move also increases City West’s subscription base from more than 15,000 to approximately 27,000 customers. City West expects to reach gross revenues of $30 million before 2010.

“We are committed to creating better service for northerners,” said Mayor Pond. “Prince Rupert is leading the region’s way onto the transportation corridor and the information highway.”

City West proposes to undertake an extensive capital program over the next five years to achieve its objective of a fully integrated digital communications environment in northwest BC, delivering a portfolio of voice, data, video and Internet services throughout the region. One of these plans is to construct a fibre optic link, connecting Prince Rupert with Terrace, to capitalize on existing business opportunities including the Port of Prince Rupert expansion. Financing for the acquisition and fibre optic link is being provided by HSBC, the world’s second largest bank.

City West Group of Companies and its predecessor CityTel have been providing telecommunications services to the residents of Prince Rupert since 1910. City West Telephone, City West Mobility and City West Fibre will be the only independent, municipally owned telecommunications companies in Western Canada. This acquisition also makes City West Cable the primary cable service provider in BC’s northwest region.

For more information, please contact:
Mayor Herb Pond
City of Prince Rupert
250-627-0930[/quote]

At the same time We were given the following answers from city hall when asked how the purchase of Monarch could proceed without a public referendum for the $23.5 million price tag;

[quote=“Victor Kumar (Former City Administrator)”]

How can the City afford to pay $23.5 million when it is already in debt?
City West, not the City of Prince Rupert, is purchasing Monarch assets with financing obtained from HSBC. The City of Prince Rupert is only a shareholder of City West, and as such the City is not guaranteeing the debt of City West and is not liable for the debt of City West. There is no impact on City services and property taxes arising from this transaction. City West is now a separate entity from the City. The debt is that of City West. If City Tel continued as a department of the City, this transaction would not have been possible.

Isn’t the City required to hold a Counter-petition/referendum for the borrowing of such large amount of money?
Yes, if the City was the borrower. The City is a shareholder only and is not liable for the debt of City West Cable & Telephone Corp. City West is a public company and requires no referendum other than the consent of the Shareholder by a resolution. City West is not binding the shareholder. The debt is guaranteed by the income and assets of City West.

What is the future Revenue of the combined Company?
The 2006 combined income is projected at $19.2 million and rising to $29.5 million in 2010.

What Income can the City expect?
In 2006, the Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Allowances [commonly referred to as EBITDA] is projected at $8.1 million rising to $16.2 million by 2010. The interest charges in 2006 are projected at $1.7 million and decreasing to $917,000 in 2010. Net Income of the Company in 2006 is projected at $1.2 million; 2007: $3.0 million; 2008: $5.2 million; 2009: $7.3 million & 2010: $9.4 million.

What does the Cash Flow position looks like considering that the City has no money?
The City’s cash flow remains poor. It is not related to City West Cable & Telephone’s cash flow, which will be independent of the City. The operating cash flow increases from $6.2 million in 2006 to $14.4 million in 2010. Cash flow will be impacted by the extent of capital investment required to improve the system.[/quote]

Well folks it’s now almost the end of 2010, and maybe it’s time we asked whether the management of this company under the Chair Mr. Gordon Howie and the CEO Mr. Rob Brown has achieved all that was promised. Lots of questions may come to mind but lets start with

  1. Have we actually seen that "The acquisition means that customers in our region will soon be receiving the same advanced cable and telecommunications services as those south of us.”?
  2. Have we actually seen that "“ “Prince Rupert is leading the region’s way onto the transportation corridor and the information highway.”?
  3. Have we actually seen that “There is no impact on City services and property taxes arising from this transaction.”?
  4. Has the company achieved the financial projections made: “Net Income of the Company in 2006 is projected at $1.2 million; 2007: $3.0 million; 2008: $5.2 million; 2009: $7.3 million & 2010: $9.4 million”.
  5. Should a municipality that can’t provide the Recycling service their citizens desire be competing with “Big Boys” in an industry that has lots of competition all with more money than Emperor Jack and his Imperial Court.

I know that accountability is a foreign concept to our local City Hall but perhaps it’s time for taxpayers to start demanding this. The city administrator Mr. Victor Kumar obviously had a business plan and financial projections up to the end of 2010. Since this is all now history, perhaps the City can release the original projections to the citizens so they can assess for themselves the wisdom, risks or benefits of remaining in the telecommunications business.

19

You know, I get really upset sometimes about the service I receive (internet/landline) but in the end, I’ve decided to let it go.
You know why? CityWest is about the only provider in Canada that does not have GB bandwidth caps. Yeah, it’s slow once and a while. But really, 100GB’s in one month? You know how much that would cost you with another provider? You’re left nut.

20

[quote=“MeepMeepZoom”]You know, I get really upset sometimes about the service I receive (internet/landline) but in the end, I’ve decided to let it go.
You know why? CityWest is about the only provider in Canada that does not have GB bandwidth caps. Yeah, it’s slow once and a while. But really, 100GB’s in one month? You know how much that would cost you with another provider? You’re left nut.[/quote]

Bullshit! I pay $29 per month for 150GB download with much faster speed, I can download more in 5 minutes than my old citywest connection could in an entire day. So your 100GB download with anyone else will cost you about $23.00 and you can keep your nutz
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1009401201.png