FREDERICTON, NB – Bell said Wednesday it filed another lawsuit in New Brunswick against a person it alleges stole some of its copper wire, leaving roughly 1,000 customers in Fredericton to lose home phone, internet and TV service for 12 hours.
The lawsuit names Stuart McCann as the defendant, a person who has been charged by police with theft of copper wire, Bell said.
“Bell is also pursuing all of Mr. McCann’s co-conspirators, including any individuals or scrap metal businesses who knowingly purchased the stolen copper,” the telecom said in a release.
“With 420 security incidents on Bell’s network since January 2022, 75% of which being copper theft, we are taking extra measures to protect our critical infrastructure by issuing lawsuits against people accused of vandalism,” Dana Lohnes, director of field services at Bell Aliant, said in a press release. “Our customers deserve reliable communications networks to stay connected and reach emergency services, which is taken from them after each incident until repairs are completed.”
In April, Bell filed a lawsuit in Ontario against four people who it said broke through the protective fences surrounding the telecom’s cellular facilities at seven Ontario sites and stole copper equipment to sell to other unnamed individuals for a profit.
Bell said it will continue going after thieves and the scrap yards that knowingly purchase the stolen cable.
“Extra alarms, security and support from local law enforcement isn’t enough of a deterrent,” Bell said in the release.
“Bell is calling on provincial and federal governments to help communications providers improve the resiliency of Canada’s telecommunications networks,” it added. “Governments need to take decisive, timely action to increase fines and make amendments to the Criminal Code, reflecting the essential nature of this critical infrastructure on the security of this country.”
That is what Bell contributed to a joint report with other telecoms calling for amendments to the law to increase deterrence against such theft due to the essential nature of telecommunications infrastructure.
