Emergency Updates

Bell mitigating the effects of wildfires on its network

In any emergency, we prioritize the safety of the community and first responders. Continued access to Internet and mobile services plays a critical role in supporting people facing these situations, as well as the responders. We also consider the safety of our team members who repair and restore the network in challenging conditions as essential.

Current Customer Impacts:

Fire has impacted infrastructure in some areas. Customers in Armstrong, Collins, Whitesand, Lac des Mille Lacs, Ontario, are experiencing disruptions to Voice, Internet, and Wireless services.

Network restoration after a severe weather event

Damaged infrastructure will take time to repair as it will need to be rebuilt. In order to fully restore services to the areas damaged there are a series of steps.

Step one: Commercial power needs to be restored. Network technology runs on commercial power. Once commercial power is restored, our crews can get to work on assessing damage and repair timelines for Bell services

Step two: Gain clearance from emergency services to safely access sites, which includes clearing downed trees and power lines

Step three: Repair damaged poles and cables

Step four: Reattach downed cables to homes and businesses

To lessen the impact on communities affected by wildfires, we are:

• Prioritizing generators for locations that support key wireless sites, high-density fibre routes, and public safety communications.
• Staying ready to deploy crews from other regions to support affected areas if needed.
• Communicating with provincial Emergency Management Offices (EMOs), Premiers’ offices, key federal ministers, and other local partners to ensure effective coordination and support.
• Working collaboratively with other network providers.

In addition, we have been steadily transitioning from our copper network to more resilient fibre networks, which helps reduce the frequency and duration of outages.

Here are some useful tips to be prepared during the next event:

• Keep devices fully charged and have a backup battery ready in case of power outages
• Turn off Wi‑Fi and location-based services when not needed, and keep devices dry and cool
• Stay informed through local radio and television stations and apps such as the CTV News app
• Stay up-to-date about outages at support.bell.ca/outage-check and @Bell_Support on X
• During large-scale emergencies, mobile networks may become congested due to increased call and data volumes. Help reduce congestion by:
  • Using your mobile phone only for emergency calls
  • Using SMS/text or email to communicate, as these use less network capacity
  • Keep phone calls as short as possible
  • Refraining from data-intensive activities such as video streaming
• During a power outage, modems and TV receivers will not work. Once power is restored, you may need to turn devices off and on again to restore service
  • Bell’s networks may also be unavailable or experience disruptions until power is back
• Visit getprepared.gc.ca to learn more about how to prepare and stay safe during an emergency.

For additional information on Bell’s preparedness visit bell.ca/our-network.

Other resources:

Preparing for Severe Weather Events and Other Emergencies.pdf (canadatelecoms.ca)

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