Bell Court Win Sends $24,000 Message to Copper Thieves

A Québec court has ordered a man to pay $24,000 in damages after a copper theft disrupted Bell services in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, in what Bell says is the first time punitive damages have been awarded for this type of crime in the province, said the company on Monday.

The ruling stems from a January 2, 2024 copper theft in Chicoutimi, which knocked out internet service for 94 Bell customers for more than 36 hours. According to the court’s decision, the damages include $19,000 to cover network repair costs and $5,000 in punitive damages.

The court pointed to several factors in awarding punitive damages, including the scale of the service disruption, risks to public safety, the resale value of the stolen copper, and the broader impact copper theft has on telecommunications networks. The defendant was also found to have a criminal conviction related to the offence.

Bell says copper theft continues to be a growing issue. In 2025 alone, the company recorded 1,275 copper theft incidents, which it says represents about a 40 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Telecom companies have warned that copper theft can do more than cause service outages. In some cases, it can interfere with emergency services like 911, in addition to leading to costly repairs and longer restoration times for customers.

Bell says it has stepped up efforts to reduce theft by adding alarms to detect tampering, increasing the use of security guards and surveillance cameras, and working more closely with police. The company also says it has converted about 60 percent of its network footprint to fibre, which is less vulnerable to theft than copper.

Back in October, telecoms applauded the federal government’s new Bill C-14, which was a proposal that sought harsher penalties for crimes related to telecom infrastructure and retail theft.