Cellular companies attempt to restore service following Dorian

Cellular companies are working to fix network problems now that Dorian has left Nova Scotia.

Although widespread power outages are the main problem, during and in the aftermath of the storm that made landfall in Nova Scotia on Saturday, some customers have experienced cellular network outages or inconsistencies.

Rogers spokesperson Bill Killorn said the company’s cell towers are powered by hydroelectricity and they use backup generators when hydro isn’t working. More than 20 technicians from Ontario are joining local crews today to help with service restoration, he said.

“Power outages caused by the extreme weather are impacting some customers’ services, and getting services restored is our priority,” he said in an email.

“Our technicians are working around the clock and we have dispatched crews and equipment from Ontario to provide additional support.”

A spokesperson for Bell Aliant said a number of wireless facilities and cellular sites in the province were affected by power outages.

“As battery back-up power systems begin to deplete, our teams are activating generators to keep sites up and running,” Katie Hatfield said in an email.

“We are also working closely with Nova Scotia Power to restore fully power to the affected sites as soon as possible.”

A call for communication

A representative for Telus didn’t respond to requests for comment until 9 p.m. Sunday.

“We are working closely with our network partners and keeping our customers updated on our website … and on Twitter,” wrote Steve Beisswanger.

The first tweet about the impact of Hurricane Dorian on the network’s customers was posted minutes earlier, asking customers to visit Telus’ outage site for updates.

Paul Mason, executive director of EMO for the province, said his office is aware of the network problems and that providers are working to get things restored, but said it would be up to carriers to outline what’s happening.

Mason urged providers to communicate with the public.

“We’ve been very proactive on the communication, so we’re certainly sharing the information that we have, and we look to our partners to do similar efforts,” he told a press conference Sunday.