Bell Aliant changeover to fibre optics worrying for some N.S. customers

Bell Aliant's move to replace outdated copper wiring with fibre optic cable has some customers in Nova Scotia concerned they may be left without telephone service during a power outage.

The telecommunications company is in the process of making upgrades across the province, switching over those residents who remain connected to copper-wired landlines to the newer technology that requires an internet connection to function.

That worries Larry Dauphinee.

The deputy warden of Victoria County in Cape Breton says he's concerned some residential customers, particularly the most vulnerable, could find themselves without access to a working telephone in the event of a blackout.

"Especially if you're a senior living alone, it's quite crucial for them to have that connection," Dauphinee said.

Questions of reliability

In a written statement to CBC News, Bell Aliant said it is in the process of "replacing its aging copper network with its newer 100% fibre optic network to make it even more robust and future-ready for new technologies in Atlantic Canada."

Most landlines in the province, and across Canada, now use fibre optic internet cables to work, rather than the underground copper wires installed decades ago.

Telecom companies tout the cables as being faster and more efficient for landline phone use, but they rely on power from the electrical grid and an internet connection. When the power goes out, the landlines go down unless there's a battery backup that usually lasts another few hours.

Dauphinee said although there are alternatives to power the phones, it might not matter if the network doesn't function properly in rural areas where internet service is sometimes more unreliable. 

Problems with landlines connected to the fibre optic network arose in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in 2022, when many Nova Scotians were unable to make any calls, even during emergencies. 

Skepticism about the reliability of the newer technology is common among customers, but John Lawford of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Ottawa said a countrywide transition to fibre optics was always going to happen. 

"It was inevitable because it is better and it's something that's cheaper to maintain and lasts longer, honestly, than copper," said Lawford.

The problem, he said, is Bell Aliant and the CRTC haven't provided sufficient information to customers. 

Lack of clarity for customers 

"There's lots of upsides to this transition … it's just there are very practical steps that might be life or death important to do, like telling people that it won't last for two days, like telling people how to set up their battery pack," said Lawford.

"I do think it would help to have some public awareness and some more requirements, both on the phone company's and on the government side, to let people know how to do this transition properly and the consequences of it." 

Bell Aliant has sent a letter to customers directing them to make an appointment to have the changeover completed but the correspondence does not mention a need for backup batteries in a power outage. 

Bell Aliant's website contains information about the copper wire decommission and points out a backup battery is needed but will not be provided with the change. The work is done free of charge and the company said customers will see no change to their monthly bill or package due to the service transfer.

Kelly Carmody started receiving letters from Bell in December.

The Dartmouth resident said she has heard conflicting information from company representatives about the backup battery the phones require.

'Mixed messages'

"I got mixed messages with Bell Aliant … one person told me that we can buy batteries for battery backup but the last person I spoke to in the solutions department said you can't do that anymore. It's a different system and they're not battery-compatible," Carmody said. 

She said her household's landlines were connected to fibre optic internet years ago and she found them to be less reliable. 

"Initially we did switch, but then I learned that we would lose the phone after the battery backup was exhausted [after] eight hours and the only time I've ever lost power, it was for three weeks," said Carmody. "That's not very useful."