There's no solution in sight, as frustrated Bell Aliant customers in coastal Labrador contend with dial-up-like internet.

The mayor of Cartwright, a community on the southern coast of Labrador, said internet access is so slow that it's barely usable.

"Professionally, I waste more time online trying to get work done than I actually successfully get things done," said Dwight Lethbridge, businessman and mayor of Cartwright. "It honestly does affect my life."

Lethbridge notes that to deal with both federal and provincial governments from the coastal areas, you frequently need to access the internet.

"To me, this is the number one political issue, for me personally it trumps health, it trumps education, right now it trumps everything."

Even banking will be difficult for residents of Lethbridge's community, as the only banking service in the coastal Labrador community — the Eagle River Credit Union — closed earlier this year.

Bell Aliant has reduced download speeds from up to 1.5 MB to up to 256 KB, from Mary's Harbour to Nain.

Lethbridge wants both governments to intervene and explore adding telecommunications as a public service.

"As a taxpayer, I want my tax dollars going to that infrastructure and honestly, after the fact, I don't care if some high hog at Aliant are getting rich off of it … I don't care [because] lives are held up and lives are affected by not having access in this day and age."

In a written statement, Darin King, minister of business, tourism, culture and rural development, said the province does provide financial incentives in rural areas where there would not be a "business case."

"The current situation concerning internet speed on the Straits of Labrador is unfortunate," King wrote.

King said that it's his understanding that if there is a second round of funding for Connecting Canadians — a federal program that provides high-speed internet to rural areas — Bell Aliant will likely submit a proposal for areas of Labrador.