Cable thefts blamed for widespread Telus outage in B.C.’s north

An outage map as seen on the Telus website on the afternoon of May 4, 2026.

A widespread Telus outage affecting customers across northwestern B.C. has been blamed on damage caused by cable thefts.

The outage—which has impacted phone service, text messaging and internet access—was the result of vandalism to critical Telus infrastructure in the region, according to an outage notice on the telecommunication company’s website.

“We apologize,” the notice reads. “Telus services are currently experiencing a disruption impacting mobile devices and landline phones, which may affect your ability to reach emergency (911) services.”

The company, which delivers 911 connectivity services in the province, estimates the damage will be repaired by Monday evening.

CTV News has reached out to Telus for more information.

E-Comm, which employs 911 call-takers, confirmed a backup system has been activated, allowing people in the affected areas to continue calling for emergency help.

“Telus has also activated emergency roaming with another carrier, allowing customers to continue using their mobile phones to stay connected,” a spokesperson told CTV News in an email. “In addition, landline service remains available to some customers.”

Health officials said the outage has also impacted 21 health-care facilities across Burns Lake, Hazelton, Smithers, Terrace, Prince Rupert and Masset.

Acute care and major health facilities “maintain Starlink satellite internet services as a backup to local internet services,” however, and hospitals and regular health services remain open, Northern Health said in a statement.

Lakes District Hospital is unable to receive calls, which are being temporarily diverted to Prince George, officials said.