Internet and cell outages cause havoc
Two-hour disruption affects pharmacies, ATMs and restaurants; blamed on cut fibre line
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
For most people, an Internet and cellular telephone outage is an inconvenience, but for someone trying to get a prescription filled, it could be a matter of life or death.
So said Stephen Gwilliam, pharmacist and owner of Sutherland's Drugs. He explained that without Internet service he has no way to bill a prescription to an insurance company.
Gwilliam added that as long as cellphone service is up, he can plug his phone into his computer and use an app on his phone to access the insurance company. Yesterday, there were about two hours when he could not do that because both Internet and cellphone service were down.
According to a news release from Northwestel, a cut fibre-optic line near Edmonton was getting the blame for this latest disruption.
"Northern customers may also experience temporary congestion impacting other telecommunications services," the news release stated. The disruption was affecting the NWT, northern British Columbia, Yukon and Nunavut
Internet and cell service failed in the city around 9:50 a.m. Later in the day, Northwestel updated the situation via a news release.
"Northwestel partners have implemented an interim solution in Edmonton to restore cellular service to the North. Technicians have identified the physical fibre cut in Alberta and are working to repair," the release stated. "Customers may continue to experience congestion to their telecommunications services, including long distance and some TV channels, until the fibre is fully repaired."
Gwilliam said he only had a few customers come in after the Internet and cell service went down, adding there is no doubt that people's health and safety could be put at risk by outages like this.
"Today has been fortunate for us because it's been quiet. If it were really busy today it would have been impossible," Gwilliam said.
"Let's say it was someone with (a very expensive prescription) came in. He likely wouldn't have $20,000 cash with him and there's no way I'm parting with $20,000 worth of drugs hoping that his insurance company will come through."
Many if not all automated teller machines were also down during yesterday's outage.
Gwilliam said he has customers with complex medical conditions who have to get prescriptions filled that are worth $30,000.
These people have insurance plans that Gwilliam bills before he hands over the medication. He said prescription records are not a problem because he does not have to go through the Internet to access them.
The problem is a little less severe for Mary Colborne, owner of the Gold Range Bistro. However, the outage still meant people who had already eaten their breakfast at her restaurant had no way to pay.
"I have to go by the trust of the people and get them to sign their bills and hope that they come back to pay," Colborne said. "I've never been ripped off but it's just the thought - are they going to come back?"
Colborne said many of her customers are regulars but when she has an unpaid bill it makes her nervous until she has money in hand.
"It's Yellowknife. I have to put my trust and faith with the people."
Up the street at the Fat Fox, it was a similar situation whereby some customers were signing for their tabs.
"We had customers that are just going to pay tomorrow. We trust that they will come back," said Ila Berg, general manager at the Fat Fox. "We have a lot of regular customers. We just have to trust that they will come back, but we have to take that risk."
Berg estimated that about 90 per cent of their customers pay with plastic. Jeremy Flatt, owner of the Fat Fox said the recent power outages scare him more than Internet and cell outages because there is a real possibility he could lose food stored in his refrigerator and freezer.
The cellphone outage also has the potential to cause serious problems for people who need emergency services.
Without a landline, somebody needing help would not be able to call either of Yellowknife's emergency numbers.
Yellowknifer asked city spokesperson Richard McIntosh what contingency plans the city has in place when situations like yesterday's arise.
He said the first option is to find a landline or go straight to the fire hall, city hall or any other city facility to use the phone.
"If all phone lines, cell and landlines go down, we stage emergency apparatus (fire trucks and ambulances) around various locations in Yellowknife and announce these locations over local radio stations so people know they have somewhere to report an emergency without having to go to far," McIntosh stated in an e-mail.
A similar outage knocked out services, including Internet, cable and cellphone service for some Northwestel customers, after a fibre-optic line was accidentally cut in northeastern B.C. on Aug. 1.
