Internet being restored 'gradually' to Yukon: Northwestel
Repairs underway at cut fibre line near Watson Lake
Northwestel says Internet service is being restored "gradually" to Yukon communities, as crews repair a cut fibre line near Watson Lake.
"Broadband services will be phased in gradually over the coming hours, so not everything is restored at this moment," Andrew Anderson, a spokesperson for Northwestel said just after 3 p.m. PT.
Internet and some phone services were disrupted across Yukon and the Mackenzie delta region after the fibre line was cut around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Some satellite-served communities in the N.W.T and Nunavut were also effected, as they're connected to a Whitehorse-based server.
Anderson says the company believes excavation work near Watson Lake caused the damage. Crews located the site and began repair work earlier this afternoon.
The outage caused headaches for some Yukoners, especially those who found themselves without cash Wednesday morning. Debit and credit cards weren't working.
"Shocking, actually, that you can come up to a civilized city and not have Internet," said Dana Baron, who's based in B.C. but travels to Yukon regularly for work.
Most Yukoners, however, took it in stride.
"I've always believed that cash is king, and I always make sure that I have enough for my purchases," said Ralph Wohlfarth.