Northwestel, a major telecommunications provider in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, recently reported a widespread outage that has affected services across both territories. The outage was first acknowledged by Yukon Protective Services at 10:30 am on Sunday, with the NWT RCMP sharing a press release about the issue at 2 p.m. the same day.
According to Cst. Josh Seaward, a spokesperson with the Yellowknife detachment, the outage has disrupted 911 services, landlines, and some cellular carriers in the Northwest Territories. This means that individuals requiring urgent police assistance may need to physically go to their local detachment for help if they are unable to reach emergency services through traditional means.
Michelle Klaben, a spokesperson with the Yukon Emergency Measures Organization (EMO), explained that the outage is due to a site in northern B.C. being down, forcing Northwestel to rely on a backup system. This backup system, a microwave tower, is causing intermittent or spotty service, particularly impacting internet speed and cellular data services. Northwestel is currently prioritizing landline and cell phone calling and text services over data to ensure that individuals can still reach emergency services if needed.
Despite efforts to resolve the issue quickly, Northwestel has been unable to provide a timeline for when services may be fully restored. Matthew Bossons, a spokesperson for Northwestel, confirmed that an „equipment failure“ is to blame for the outage and that technicians are working diligently to fix the problem. In the meantime, customers may continue to experience disruptions to their cellular, landline, TV, and internet services.
In light of the ongoing outage, individuals are encouraged to try calling 911 first if they require emergency assistance. If connectivity issues persist, they should report the emergency in person at the nearest RCMP station or detachment. Northwestel is utilizing all available resources to minimize the impact of the outage and restore services as quickly as possible.
Overall, the widespread telecommunications outage in the Yukon and NWT has highlighted the importance of reliable communication services, especially in emergency situations. As Northwestel works to resolve the issue, residents are advised to stay informed and prepared for any further disruptions to their telecommunications services.