--- title: "Telus restores service after cable theft cuts internet across northern British Columbia" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/tech/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/tech/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c" category: "Science & Tech" published: "2026-08-05T10:45:56.767Z" source_reported: "2026-08-03T15:42:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-05T11:35:05.705Z" trust_score: 66 critic_score: 70 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" --- # Telus restores service after cable theft cuts internet across northern British Columbia *Thieves severed fibre lines near Mount Hayes on 2 August 2026, knocking out landlines, mobile and broadband for most of the region* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 66 of 100, higher is better. Telus announcement provides an official statement with specific time and location, giving a trust score of 66. - Craft 70 of 100, higher is better. Clear facts and specifics, but essentially a press release without added reporting, resulting in a critic score of 70. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Neutral language and no sensationalism lead to a low hype score of 15. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Telus restored most internet-based services in northwestern British Columbia by 10 p.m. on 2 August 2026 after an outage that began in the early afternoon. - The outage was caused by thieves intentionally cutting fibre-optic cables in the Mount Hayes area along Highway 16. - The damage disrupted Telus landlines, mobile services and internet for most of northern British Columbia, including areas near Vanderhoof. - No centre- or right-rated outlets carried the story, according to the reports below. Telus announced that most internet-based services in northwestern British Columbia were restored by approximately 10 p.m. on 2 August 2026. The outage began in the early afternoon after thieves intentionally cut fibre-optic cables in the Mount Hayes area along Highway 16. The damage disrupted Telus landlines, mobile services and internet across most of the northern region, including areas near Vanderhoof. The company confirmed that the cables were severed deliberately, though it is unclear whether the thieves targeted the infrastructure for resale or sabotage. The affected fibre line carried communications for residential and business customers, leaving many without phone or internet access for several hours. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre- or right-rated outlets below carried the story. The left-rated digests did not report whether Telus had identified suspects, what security measures were in place to prevent future incidents, or how much the repairs would cost. The digests also did not specify whether emergency services were affected by the outage. **Coverage watch:** unwatched. Checked 0 times; 0 checks found a material change. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - All six left-rated digests below led on the restoration of services by 10 p.m. on 2 August 2026. They reported that the outage was caused by thieves cutting Telus cables in the Mount Hayes area along Highway 16, and that the damage disrupted landlines, mobile services and internet for most of northwestern British Columbia. The digests from Smithers Interior News and Caledonia Courier also specified that the optic fibre line was cut near Vanderhoof. - The digests did not include statements from Telus beyond the announcement of service restoration. None of the left-rated digests mentioned whether the thieves were apprehended or what their motives might have been. The reports focused on the cause of the outage and the extent of the disruption rather than the investigation or broader implications. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right No separate framing summary. ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Today In BC](https://todayinbc.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - [Burns Lake Lakes District News](https://burnslakelakesdistrictnews.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - [Smithers Interior News](https://interior-news.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - [Kitimat Northern Sentinel](https://northernsentinel.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - Northern Sentinel - [Houston Today](https://houston-today.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - [ominecaexpress.com](https://ominecaexpress.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - Vanderhoof Omineca Express - [Caledonia Courier](https://caledoniacourier.com/2026/08/03/internet-and-cell-service-restored-after-another-cable-theft-attempt) — Internet and cell service restored after another cable theft attempt - Fort St. James Caledonia Courier ## Questions **What caused the outage in northern British Columbia?** The outage was caused by thieves intentionally cutting Telus fibre-optic cables in the Mount Hayes area along Highway 16 on 2 August 2026. The damage disrupted landlines, mobile services and internet for most of northwestern British Columbia, affecting residential and business customers. **When were services restored after the cable theft?** Telus announced that most internet-based services in the region were restored by approximately 10 p.m. on 2 August 2026. The outage had begun in the early afternoon after the cables were severed, leaving many without phone or internet access for several hours. **Which outlets reported on the Telus outage?** Six left-rated outlets carried the story, all through digests: Burns Lake Lakes District News, Smithers Interior News, Kitimat Northern Sentinel, Houston Today, Omineca Express and Caledonia Courier. No centre- or right-rated outlets ran the story, according to the reports below. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/tech/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Telus restores service after cable theft cuts internet across northern British Columbia", https://mediabias.news/tech/telus-restores-service-after-cable-theft-cuts-internet-across-northern-british-c