Why Telus Customers Across Alberta Lost Internet, Phone and More on Friday

Telus customers across Alberta were hit by widespread outages Friday, cutting off internet, phone, and TV services in several regions from Edmonton to communities northwest of the city.

In central Edmonton, users lost mobile data, calls, and texting. Telus said the cause of that disruption was still under investigation as of Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, in the Bonnie Doon and Calder neighbourhoods, thieves stole cables, knocking out internet, phone, 911 access, and TV service.

Farther north, a third-party excavator accidentally damaged Telus cables near Whitecourt on Thursday, sparking additional outages across northwestern Alberta. The company said the incident caused “temporary wireless service disruptions for customers in Northwestern Alberta, as well as a subset of internet and wireline voice customers throughout the region.”

The damage affected multiple communities along Highway 43, including Lac Ste. Anne County, Mayerthorpe, Fox Creek, Barrhead County, Big Lakes County, the M.D. of Greenview, Sangudo, Swan Hills, Woodlands County, Yellowhead County, and areas south of Valleyview.

In Mayerthorpe, businesses went cash-only or temporarily closed, including the town’s pharmacy. “Just because we are in a rural town, it’s very hard to get another internet provider, especially for pharmacies,” said Satya Patel, owner of Mayerthorpe Value Drugmart. “I can’t fill their prescription. People would like to get their medication. You can’t let them go without it.”

Mayor Janet Jabush said her town already faces unreliable connectivity. “I’d hate to think that we had seniors without some sort of a way to get hold of emergency services if they needed to,” she said.

Telus said it has activated emergency roaming with a partner network to restore 911 access and partial wireless service while crews repair damaged cables and replace stolen ones.

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