911 Outage Exposes Aging Infrastructure | Winnipeg News

Another 911 outage in Manitoba, this time triggered by a third party accidentally severing a fiber optic cable near Winnipeg, exposed the fragility of the province’s aging emergency communication system. Bell’s backup systems also failed, leaving nearly 90 calls unable to reach Brandon’s public safety center—highlighting the urgent need for next-gen 911 infrastructure, slated for full rollout by 2026. Premier Wab Kinew, frustrated by repeated failures, pressed the Prime Minister to intervene, who pledged to personally call telecom CEOs. While Bell won’t name the culprit, the CRTC must be notified, and telecom experts note it’s rare for a single cable cut to cause such widespread disruption—usually, redundant routes prevent this. With wildfires and floods looming, provincial and federal authorities are pushing for faster upgrades and stronger infrastructure, as Manitobans demand reliable, life-saving services they pay for and expect to work flawlessly. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a713cd19b2df23db