Bell Canada apologized to its clients for spotty customer service over the last three years as it struggled to adapt to new technologies and compete with cable providers under tight regulatory restrictions.

Bell, which has been quickly losing phone customers to telephony rookies like Videotron, has been long maligned for the teeth-gnashing inconsistency of its client care. Tales of callers going through numerous, often clueless representatives have become common lore.

At the same time, he said, federal regulators did not give Bell the same freedom to change pricing and offerings enjoyed by the cable newcomers.