Widespread Communications Outages In Atlantic Canada Today

Thousands of people in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland experienced widespread outages for cellphones, internet, landlines and even TD Canada bank branches and ATMS. Flights were also delayed and emergency communications were affected.


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"A damaged fibreoptic line in Quebec put parts east in digital darkness as mobile phone, text and data service was interrupted for more than four hours starting Friday morning. The outages primarily affected customers on the Bell network, including Bell, Telus, Virgin and Koodo.

The service crash hit businesses and hampered emergency communications, airports and other services"

“The outage was caused by accidental damage to multiple fibre network links. Bell apologizes to our customers for the disruption.”


Apparently the damage occurred all the way out in Quebec due to a few Fiber optic lines being "accidentally cut by construction workers"...

Though it crossed my mind, I wasn't the first among those I know to ask the question: "Was it intentional?". It seems widespread outages have been occurring all over North America as of recently. Almost seems systematic, like someone is testing how 1st world societies respond to communication outages...

Regardless as to whether it was accidental or intentional, it goes to show how deeply reliant we are on technology. Even a four hour partial delay can bring many aspects of our infrastructure to a screeching halt.

If the day comes when it all goes out and doesn't come back, things will get really bad, really quick...

a reply to: HorizonFall

If the day comes when it all goes out and doesn't come back, things will get really bad, really quick...

Or ... things could get a whole lot better as people discover their new found ability to talk to strangers using speech ... imagine ... just talking to another person. My goodness!

We could be better off!

P

Hmm, Maybe that's why I was having problems with my phone today. Knew I paid my bill. lol

a reply to: pheonix358

We certainly could.

Though seeing how reliant we are, I anticipate more chaos than harmony.

Imagine everything going dark at once. All power and communications. All the machines used to fix all the other machines are dead. Grocery store shelves stop getting stocked.

I hope this does not happen. Though like I said, if it does it will get bad really quick.

construction workers cut the power when digging roughly 7 or 9 days ago, fixed it today, alls good. Stupid mistake

Russia?
no, too soon?

originally posted by: pheonix358
a reply to: HorizonFall

If the day comes when it all goes out and doesn't come back, things will get really bad, really quick...

Or ... things could get a whole lot better as people discover their new found ability to talk to strangers using speech ... imagine ... just talking to another person. My goodness!

We could be better off!

P

Just like we are now.

originally posted by: pheonix358
a reply to: HorizonFall

If the day comes when it all goes out and doesn't come back, things will get really bad, really quick...

Or ... things could get a whole lot better as people discover their new found ability to talk to strangers using speech ... imagine ... just talking to another person. My goodness!

We could be better off!

P

Oh , no . What would we do ? We would have to have conversations face to face. In person , even. Would actually have to travel to talk to family and loved ones.
We cant have that , now can we ?

It seems that the fiber optic link is the weakest link in the chain of communications. The idea that cell phones, landlines, internet, banking, air lines and emergency communications were lost because the fiber optic lines were cut makes two-way comms one of the only viable communications left. I know around here the EMS and local police are about the only ones using analog two-ways you can monitor on VHF with the state police using digital two-ways.

There should be a redundant system for emergencies at the least like a separate hardwired LAN, combined with a mesh-net and other two-way systems. The HAM radio guys have repeaters that have little traffic, perhaps they should consider a way to patch into systems like these when needed in a wide spread long term blackout. I'm willing to bet there are plans to do this if it becomes absolutely necessary. Although 4 hours isn't too long a wait, if you are in a dire emergency, then minutes count, imagine a longer repair time like weeks. Our dependence on communications shouldn't rely on a bottle neck like fiber optics.

originally posted by: HorizonFall
a reply to: pheonix358

We certainly could.

Though seeing how reliant we are, I anticipate more chaos than harmony.

Imagine everything going dark at once. All power and communications. All the machines used to fix all the other machines are dead. Grocery store shelves stop getting stocked.

I hope this does not happen. Though like I said, if it does it will get bad really quick.

Mass discontent is what destroys all civilizations and it happens overnight. No records of what really happens have ever existed to the disappearance of mankind of yesteryears.

a reply to: pheonix358

Or ... things could get a whole lot better as people discover their new found ability to talk to strangers using speech ... imagine ... just talking to another person. My goodness!

Don't be gross!

I imagine it actually screwed up a lot of businesses and potentially public services. I'm also surprised any of those areas actually know what an internet is.

This is one of the reasons I refuse to support a cashless society. Just one good screw up, and we're all doomed.

originally posted by: Domo1
a reply to: pheonix358

I'm also surprised any of those areas actually know what an internet is.

Yeah, it's not easy living in igloos. Though riding a polar bear to work has its perks

Then again, what is an internet?

edit on 5-8-2017 by HorizonFall because: (no reason given)

Man, I can't wait for construction season to end. At least 6 inches of ground frost is where the comfort zone is.

Here was a fun one, a ditch mower sheered off a pedestal with a 60 count fiber bundle inside.





But at least this was repaired within 5 hours.