Advertisement

B.C. storm causing cellphone network disruptions

Click to play video: 'Dozens of travellers left stranded on B.C. roads after heavy rain, mudslides'
Dozens of travellers left stranded on B.C. roads after heavy rain, mudslides
WATCH: Relentless rain over the weekend has led to a mess on several major roads in B.C. The biggest issue is near Agassiz - in the District of Kent - where several landslides and road washouts have left drivers stranded, most of them, overnight. Emily Lazatin reports – Nov 15, 2021

Intense rain causing flooding, forcing evacuations, triggering mudslides, and trapping motorists in southwest British Columbia, is also disrupting cell phone service.

Some B.C. mobility customers “may be experiencing a service outage due to multiple fibre cuts” caused by the adverse weather conditions, Bell said.

“We are working with our partners to restore services as quickly and safely as possible,” Bell said in a statement.

Rogers also acknowledged that some of its wireless customers in B.C., as well as Alberta and Manitoba, were experiencing “service interruptions” on Monday due to the weather conditions.

Rogers did not have an estimate on when service might be restored.

Story continues below advertisement

Telus said its network is not affected, but a Telus customer struggling to connect with a cellphone user on another network may experience network disruptions.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“If a Telus customer is trying to get in contact with someone who uses another provider that is experiencing a disruption, the call or text will not go through, which understandably leads people to believe the issue may be with their cell phone or network,” Telus said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Merritt, where the entire city was placed under evacuation order due to flooding, the volume of calls appears to be putting a strain on the system.

The City of Merritt urged locals to only make essential calls from within city limits.

In a social media post the city said, “competition on the network is leading to failed calls that are critical for coordinating emergency reposes.”

Story continues below advertisement

—with files from Amy Judd and Kathy Michaels

Sponsored content

AdChoices