A third of wired desk phones at federal offices have been disconnected, and more than 91,000 government-issued mobile phones are unused, according to a memo from Shared Services Canada.The agency said the cuts are part of a plan to phase out “older solutions” and retain only 10% of fixed lines within three years. “Traditional wired office desk phones are no longer useful for many employees and are costly to maintain,” the memo stated.As Blacklock's Reporter reports, federal offices once had 523,000 desk phones nationwide. To date, 161,000 — or 31% — have been removed, with another 94,000 scheduled for immediate disconnection. No savings estimate was provided.A 2024 audit found 91,237 mobile devices went unused for at least three months, a number up 65% between March 2020 and March 2023. Service plans for dormant devices cost taxpayers $5.9 million in 2021 and $3 million in 2022, with an average monthly bill of $253,832.Auditors said many phones were issued during the pandemic so public servants could work remotely, but widespread adoption of Microsoft Teams has reduced the need for them.Telephone service for the federal government cost $339.6 million last year — a 73% increase since 2019 — amid rising telecom expenses.Statistics Canada previously reported Ottawa had the country’s highest work-from-home rate during pandemic lockdowns, with 47.5% of employees working remotely compared to 44% in Toronto, 43% in Montréal, and lower rates in other major cities.
