Bell Aliant and EastLink say they're working to resolve a communications problem that two Halifax businessmen claim has cost them customers and money.

Some internet customers served by Bell Aliant have not been receiving emails sent by businesses signed up with EastLink.

Pat Mulcahy runs a company that approves about 4,500 warranties on new homes each year. He uses EastLink at the office and Bell Aliant at home, so when his wife discovered she wasn't getting his messages, he understood why many of his clients were annoyed.

"We use email every day, as most small businesses do. The homeowner has sent an email and they're not getting anything back from either provider that says this email didn't get through. They think we are coming at 9, we show up at 10, and you have a client that isn't happy," said Mulcahy.

Mulcahy said he called both EastLink and Aliant to complain, but each company just blamed the other.

Brian Hicks, president of Coronis Solutions, an internet marketing company, said he had the same experience.

"At Bell Aliant they told me it was an EastLink problem and then I called EastLink and the tech support people said it was an Aliant problem. Neither party seemed to have any interest in resolving the issue," said Hicks.

In emails to CBC News, both EastLink and Bell Aliant said they are working together to resolve the problem, which they described as affecting only a "limited number" of customers.