Cellphone, internet service restored in North as fibre line repaired

Northwestel says full cellular phone and internet servicehas been restored toNorthwest Territories, Yukon and northern B.C. followingthis morning's fibre line cut near Edmonton.

Cellphone and internetservicein the North wasdisrupted atabout 9:45 a.m. MTdue toa cut fibre optic cablein Edmonton.

Cellular phone service was restored through an interim solution at around 1 p.m. Other telecommunications services were re-routed toa redundant linethat could notkeep up with all of the demand on it, resulting in congestion while technicians worked to repair the main line.

Earlier today, company spokesperson Andrew Anderson saidNorthwestelservice runs throughhubs in centres like Edmonton that are owned by other companies he describedas"partners."

Flights at the Yellowknifeairport were not affected. Services at Stanton TerritorialHospital in Yellowknife were also not affected.

Problems connecting

At lunch hour, some customers in Yellowknife said their cellphone and internetservice was down, but some businesses said their debit and credit services are working.

KyokoHayashiguchi, a staff member at Javaroma, said her cellphone and thewifi at the coffee shop was down. One of the two debit machines at the counter was working.

CustomerIris Hamlynsaid she was unsuccessfully trying to reach her husband on her cellphoneto warn him about anunexpected house guest whowould be there when he arrived at their Prelude Lake home. The internet was also not working at her office.

"You realizehow dependent you are," she said.

StudentAdeahReitsma was planning to spend her morning searching for financial aid possibilitieson her laptop, butsaid the disruption in service was not critical.

"It's more of an annoyance," she said.