Imagine driving eight kilometres just to make a simple phone call. For Allan Speight, from Clarendon, New Brunswick, this has been his reality since early January. After thieves stole over a kilometre of copper wire, Speight and roughly 135 other Bell customers were plunged into a total communications blackout.
“If anything happens, I have no way to get any help. … no one can get a hold of me,” Speight told CBC News. Living northwest of Saint John, Speight has neither a working landline nor cellular service at his home.
The situation took a turn this past week when the Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP arrested three individuals. Police discovered approximately 100 kilograms of copper at a residence near where the lines were cut. A 30-year-old woman and two men now face charges for possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
While the arrests provide hope for justice, the damage is extensive. Bell spokesperson David Marcille confirmed that crews have been working “continuously” to restore service, but noted that workers first had to clear branches just to reach the vandalized lines. Bell expects service to return by early next week.
This is part of a massive spike in telecommunications vandalism. David Joice, director of network operations for Bell, told CBC News that the Fredericton area has become an “epicentre” for these crimes. He noted that thefts have surged by 50 to 100 per cent annually since 2022.
“It’s something that’s getting worse and worse, and it continues to impact customer services such as internet, voice, cellular services sometimes and, importantly, access to things like 911 emergency services,” Joice said.
By the end of last year, Bell recorded 1,200 outages caused by vandalism nationwide. New Brunswick accounted for 168 of those incidents.
Back in October, the feds introduced Bill C-14, which finally targeted copper theft and would increase penalties on criminals committing crimes related to telecom infrastructure and retail theft. In December, Bell won a court case against a copper thief, which ordered a Quebec man to pay $24,000 in damages.
Not having any way to communicate, especially in a time of emergency is never good. Residents, if capable, could get online through SpaceX’s Starlink for internet and also the company’s Direct to Cell, which is available through Rogers for anyone, at the cost of $15 per month.
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