Residents of the Steelhead neighbourhood north of Mission, B.C., are facing repeated disruptions to their internet, phone, and cable services due to persistent copper thefts.
Despite Telus switching most of the area to fibre-optic cable in 2021, the theft issue continues to jeopardize public safety.
On Tuesday morning, the latest incident left many without service for the majority of the day. According to Candace Koch, the lines have been severed four times in the past seven months, including one incident where thieves cut the line feeding the local cell tower, disabling cell phone services.
“This put the entire community at risk for no telecommunications. Can’t call emergency or anybody,” Koch stated to Global News. “It’s a public safety issue and it needs to be taken seriously.”
The Steelhead area is home to about 800 residents, described by local Jana Tennant as having “one road in, one road out.” Tennant said the thefts repeatedly target the same location because a few subscribers still use copper lines, which are replaced each time they are stolen.
Telus has considered installing signs to inform thieves that the lines are now fibre-optic and has expressed willingness to transition the remaining copper users to fibre. So far, nothing has been done.
According to Telus, crews were dispatched promptly and service was pegged to be restored by Tuesday night. The company emphasized its cooperation with local police and investments in security measures, including cameras, specialized locks, and fencing, to combat copper theft. Telus also urged residents to report suspicious activity to police or Crime Stoppers.
Koch expressed the community’s growing frustration: “We have these concerns about public safety, so we would like Telus to step up and come up with a solution to remove the deterrent. They need to get rid of the copper.”
It’s not just Telus that’s victim to copper theft. Bell has been the most vocal telecom about copper thieves, with periodic thefts happening. The company even set up booby traps to deter thieves and has also taken them to court.
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The community has thieves within their area, and want the phone company to deter them….how about the local law enforcment do their jobs and figure out who is doing this….
There was a long line at the local Tim Hortons so the cops were unable to intervene.