Bell Canada representatives say that they charge 9-1-1 service fees to Yellowknife customers because the service they use is national, and must be paid by everyone.

YELLOWKNIFE - Bell Canada is charging cell phone owners for a service they can't use.

Bell customers in Yellowknife pay 75 cents a month for a 9-1-1 emergency phone system, even though the city doesn't offer the service.

"Every customer pays for 9-1-1 no matter where they live in the country," said Mario Harvey, an employee at the Yellowknife Bell Store.

"It's because the phone is 9-1-1 capable. If you leave town and go somewhere where they have the service, you'll be able to use it."

Paolo Pasquini, a spokesperson for Bell Canada, said that the funds from the 9-1-1 charge go towards enhancing the service.

"It's a national service, so everyone in the nation pays for it," he said.

Tom Zubko, president of Bell's competitor Ice Wireless, said his company will only charge the 9-1-1 fee if a customer is in another city and uses the service.

He explained that in those instances Ice Wireless is charged by other companies their customer uses the service through.

"I'm not sure what there rationale is," he said. "We don't think we should be charging for an emergency."

He said that if Yellowknife eventually brings in 9-1-1, his company won't charge the customer for the service.

Coun. Mark Heyck said he was unaware that Bell charged for 9-1-1 in Yellowknife.

He added that because Bell is a private company and offers contracts, city council can't do anything about the charge.

However, he said he didn't think it was a good business practice.

"It seems unfair to be charging people for a service that they don't even have," Heyck said.

The city has been talking about getting a 9-1-1 service since the early 1990s.

One difficulty they have encountered is how to pay for it.

City council had talked about adding 32 cents a month to all Yellowknifers' phone bills.

However, Coun. Bob Brooks said that committee members are now looking at a way to make the charge equal for everyone.

Brooks added that he's not keen about Bell charging for 9-1-1 in Yellowknife.

"It seems kind of ridiculous, doesn't it," he said.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who sits on the 9-1-1 committee for the city, said he had learned last week about Bell's fee.

"I referred it to the 9-1-1 committee, and hopefully they will use it as an incentive to get (9-1-1 implementation) moving quicker," he said.