Calgary Shaw services disrupted after attempted copper wire theft

Some Shaw customers in north Calgary experienced a service outage on Monday after an attempted theft of copper wire.

The company said the outage affected internet, television and home phone services.

Several neighbourhoods were impacted, including Mount Pleasant, Tuxedo Park and Crescent Heights.

It also knocked out internet and phone for businesses along Kensington Road and 10th Street N.W., forcing them to go cash-only.

“Crews have determined this outage is due to a fibre cut caused by vandalism and attempted theft of copper wire,” Shaw said in a service update.

The issue was discovered around 4:20 a.m. on Monday.

The company said the fibre line repairs can take between eight to 12 hours, however, full restoration of services could take longer if the damage is extensive.

Just after 4 p.m., Shaw provided an update saying technicians have begun work on “fibre splicing” and will start restoring services soon.

As of 8:16 p.m., Shaw/Rogers said "services have now been restored to half or more of the affected customers."

Rogers confirmed that all services were restored to customers, in an email just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday.

In an emailed statement Monday, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) confirmed it was dispatched to the area of 12 Street and 25 Avenue N.E. around 10 a.m. on Monday, for reports of a copper wire theft.

Anyone with information about this theft is asked to contact the CPS non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Shaw customers can check their account on the My Shaw website or the My Shaw App and look for an alert banner, to determine if the outage is affecting services.