Landline, internet service restored, Bell MTS says after nine-day outage in parts of downtown

A telecommunications cable damaged by Manitoba Hydro construction work left thousands of downtown Winnipeg residents without landline and internet service for over a week. The outage, which began on August 18, primarily affected buildings near Fort Street, Garry Street, and York Avenue. Bell MTS confirmed repairs were completed Thursday morning in the impacted area.

Building manager Shelly Durham of the Broadway Manor apartment tower expressed concern, stating that many elderly residents depended on landlines as their primary means of communication. The loss of the building's buzzer system, which relied on the affected phone lines, added to the crisis.

The complex nature of the repair and limited availability of replacement cable contributed to the lengthy restoration process. Bell MTS spokespersons thanked customers for their patience and praised the crews who worked tirelessly to fix the cables as quickly as possible. The annual subscription for Bell MTS service costs $205.00 plus GST for one year, with automatic renewal at $233.00 plus GST every 52 weeks.