Some residents of eastern Ontario who lost access to the Internet after last weekend’s storm are frustrated, saying the storm has highlighted the shortcomings of the digital age.
“Everything has been downloaded from the Internet,” said Amber McCoy, who lives in Russell, Ont. “‘Go to the Internet. Go to the Internet. Go to the Internet.’ And when he’s not there, where else do you go? “
Once the storm was over, McCoy, who ran out of running water at his home, began searching for essential information, such as the magnitude of the storm and how long the power outages could last.
She was disappointed by the lack of useful information immediately broadcast on the radio.
McCoy keeps goats on his hobby farm, but he felt in the dark when, in search of fresh water, he struggled to connect to the 3-1-1 phone line. With gas as a precious commodity, I didn’t want to waste it driving unnecessarily.
“There still needs to be some basic backup communication methods, to deal with this kind of scenario,” he said.
A challenge to work from home
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson provided residents with free WiFi in public libraries, community centers and the town hall.
“I’ve heard from a number of people who are obviously worried and upset because their internet service is down,” the mayor told a news conference on Wednesday.
“But they should really get in touch with their provider. As I mentioned, we have options available for people to come. I know it’s not perfect.”
According to Bell’s website on Wednesday evening, most service call calls came from zip codes beginning with K1A, K4C, K1H and K0A, which represent part of downtown Ottawa, Cumberland, Alta Vista and many of the cities surrounding the national capital region.
Similarly, the Rogers website says that most reports come from zip codes starting with K1A, K0A, and K4C, with Internet access being the most common problem.
Orleans resident Nancy Lebrun has repeatedly been disappointed that her service provider does not have time to resume service.
“I partially work from home and I need my internet and my husband works from home every day and has run out of internet,” she said. “So it’s been pretty disturbing.”
Although Nancy Lebrun’s power has been restored after the storm shattered her, she still has no access to the Internet. He said the lack of communication has been frustrating. In the picture above, a neighbor is standing near a tree that crashed into his Orleans neighborhood. (Nancy Lebrun)
Bells Corners resident David Gilbert said the lack of Internet access is affecting their livelihoods, which means connecting with customers virtually.
While he has heard updates on when electricity could be restored, he has only heard a “deafening silence” about when he may have the Internet again.
“Is it one more day? One more week? And for those who trust the Internet for all sorts of reasons, that’s a challenge.”
“It certainly has some shortcomings”
McCoy said his Internet problems were only exacerbated by the number of people using data on their devices, which obstructed mobile phone towers and made it difficult to access and download web pages.
Although his power and the Internet have returned, he said that even a simpler website, one without graphics, may have facilitated access to critical information.
“As amazing and amazing as it is, during something like this, it certainly has some shortcomings,” he said. “And we can’t lose sight of the importance of other avenues of communication.”