Phone and internet service blackout impacts New Brunswick

N.B. impacted by service outages The widespread impact of phone and internet service outages affects Fredericton's emergency services. CTV's Nick Moore reports.

Atlantic Canada lost cellphone and other network services for more than four hours Friday, inconveniencing many who believed the problem was only on their end of the line in New Brunswick.

“We're experiencing some difficulties with our cell service, our internet,” said a Bell owned radio station. “Now we do know that some flights in Fredericton and Halifax are being affected by this.”

Barb Pitt says the outage kept her from making necessary calls.

“Went to use my phone to make a couple of important phone calls and couldn't use that,” she says.

Beatrice Tompkins says she had a difficult time completing her errands Friday afternoon.

“We're not going to be able do groceries, we're not going to be able to, the bank is graciously writing a cheque for things we need right now,” says Tompkins.

The outage affected those with medical appointments in Fredericton as well.

“The ladies in there can't help anybody today because their systems are down so they had to cancel their appointments,” says Carol Crandlemire.

Sara McIntyre says she only owns a cellphone so she had a difficult time making calls on Friday.

“I actually don’t have a landline so I’m trying to find a landline to call my in-laws because they’re coming tonight and it's still on,” says McIntyre.

“I’ve tried to talk to my boyfriend, we were in the middle of a conversation and our messages just stopped sending, we've been trying to make calls,but we can't,” says Emily McIntyre.

New Brunswick Emergency Measures Operation said 911 remained operational, although the Oromocto Fire Department stationed firefighters around the area for those who couldn't dial out.

“Many people tried to test their cell phone by calling 911 and we certainly discourage people from doing that,” says Robert Dugauy of N.B. EMO.

EMO says there were also issues with emergency personnel contacting one another.

“There was some impact depending on the region so again, each emergency responder has their contingencyplan and tookdifferent measures depending on where they're located, what kind of resources available to them,” says Dugauy.

The outage impacted the fire watch happening in New Brunswick as well. The provincial government says fire crews went to their plan b and used a radio line to maintain their communication Friday afternoon.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore.