TELUS outage leaves some Gabriola Island residents unable to call 911: EComm

TELUS outage leaves some Gabriola Island residents unable to call 911: EComm
CHEK

Gabriola Island residents who have been without TELUS landline or cell service since Tuesday’s winter storm are being urged to take alternate steps in the event of an emergency.

TELUS users on the Island facing a life-threatening emergency should still dial 911 in case service has been restored, EComm 911 says.

If they can’t connect, they’re urged to head to the nearest doctor’s office, police station or fire department if safe to do so.

The outage only applies to TELUS landline and cellular customers, according to the telecommunications company. Residents with an emergency should also try calling 911 from a phone connected to another service provider, if possible.

The 911 system remains fully operational and has not been impacted, EComm said.

Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department is advising residents that it has backup communication equipment and can make calls to RCMP and ambulance for anyone who needs them, or contact the fire hall via Facebook Messenger.

On its service outage website, TELUS says the outage began at 7:37 p.m. Tuesday as a winter storm impacted phone lines.

Users will be unable to communicate via mobile text or calling, use data on their cell phone, or make calls from their landline until the issue is resolved. No ETA has been provided for a fix.

In addition to Gabriola, customers in the following locations may also be experiencing disruptions:

  • Degnan Island
  • Gabriola Island
  • Silva Bay
  • Coquitlam
  • Hornby Island
  • Magic Lake Estates
  • Mudge Island
  • Port Coquitlam
  • Fernie Road
  • Port Moody
  • Pender Island
  • Nanaimo
  • Cedar

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