The outage at Rogers/Shaw, north of Calgary, was caused by vandalism

Internet, TV and phone service outages in north Calgary neighborhoods linked to vandalism, CTV News has reported.

Officials with Rogers/Shaw Communications said the problem was caused by a fiber line cut during a suspected copper wire theft.

As of 11 a.m., about 5,000 customers in Balmoral, Brentwood, Riverside and Capitol Hill and the area were affected, the company said.

In a statement to CTV News, Rogers/Shaw says vandalism-related outages are “growing exponentially every year.”

“Rogers has experienced four to five times (more) outages due to vandalism since 2022,” the company said.

“Outages due to vandalism can take three to four times longer to repair than any other type of outage, depending on the extent of damage and associated repairs.”

If you see someone damaging utility lines, you are asked to contact the police.