Cable theft hurts phone service in Canada

Some 700 Telus customers in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada were left without phone and Internet service Saturday -- for the second time in the past three days.

Thieves stripped 100-meter sections of six copper cables off poles at about 4 a.m., disrupting service and leaving residents without access to 911. In total, more than 1,000 TELUS customers were left without service for the better part of the day. Hall said this is the biggest theft to hit the area recently.

The theft follows one just a few kilometers away on Thursday that left 350 Maple Ridge customers without service for most of the day, and another Friday that affected 50 Surrey customers. Both of those incidents involved just one cable instead of six.

An average repair costs about $50,000, Hall said. The biggest concern, though, is that residents are left without access to 911. "It's dangerous because it puts out customers' lives at risk," he said.

Police and Telus officials are investigating the thefts. In this case, the thieves left much of the cable they cut off the poles on the ground at the scene. Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity between 3 and 4 a.m. at the site of the latest theft are asked to call police. (info & photo from The Vancouver Sun)