'Act of vandalism' blamed for Rogers outage in Guelph
Service has been restored to approximately 2,000 Rogers customers in Guelph, Ont., after the company says someone damaged their cables in an "act of vandalism."
Customers found themselves without TV, internet and phone service Monday. The Rogers outage page indicated the outage was due to "fibre cut caused by an act of vandalism."
On Tuesday, it indicated that service had been restored as of 8 a.m.
The outage started Monday morning after the company more than 300 metres of aerial fibre cables were damaged.
Police in Guelph say they're investigating the vandalism to the lines, which were damaged in the area of Kortright Road W. and the Hanlon Expressway.
Officers were called to the area just after 6 a.m. on Monday by a Rogers technician who reported seeing a person in the area.
"While the technician was on scene, he observed a ladder on the ground and saw a male carrying a tool described as a long pole with a saw on the end. The male fled when he saw the technician, leaving the ladder behind," police said in a release Tuesday.
"The technician explained there was a section of cable removed but it would have no scrap value as it contained only fibre optic bundles, which are of no value once they are cut."
The damage was estimated at more than $50,000. Police continue to investigate and ask anyone with information to contact officers or Crime Stoppers.
Rogers said in a statement to CBC News this kind of vandalism is becoming more common.
"Telecommunication networks are part of Canada's critical infrastructure. Across the industry, there has been a troubling rise in vandalism and attempted copper theft to network infrastructure, impacting services for Canadians," the company said.
Rogers said outages caused by vandalism, which can include attempted copper thefts, "are complex with higher repair costs and longer restoration times" because the extent of the damage.
