GCI Says Cable Fix to Take More Time

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 13 September 2024 15:38

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Technicians finished splicing work on the damaged GCI fiberoptic cable in Salisbury Sound early today, but the company says more work is needed before internet service over the line returns to normal.
The outage caused by the cable break passed the two-week mark on Thursday.

Sitka summer residents Beverly and David Garcia get along fine without using the free wifi at Sitka Public Library today. GCI said the fiberoptic cable repair will take more time. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Technicians have been working on the cable since the Cable Innovator arrived from Seattle on Sept. 8.
High winds at the cable site Thursday forced the Cable Innovator, to take shelter near Angoon before returning later that afternoon.
GCI corporate communications manager Josh Edge said once testing of the cable is complete, the ship will position the repaired segment back on the seafloor and GCI teams will begin the complex process of “migrating services back onto the fiber from the backup methods used since the break occurred.”
Much of Sitka has been without regular internet service since the cable broke midday August 29. The cable break affected cell phone and land line telephone communication as well as internet access.
GCI restored some level of service through backup technologies.
The company said that the initial effort to restore temporary connectivity to customers required an immense amount of work and will require on-site physical work and off-site network reconfiguration.
The company said returning all services to a normal state is expected to be “no smaller task” than the physical repair of the cable.
The company did not say what caused the break, or when that information would be given to customers and the public.
“As our teams work through their extensive task lists to move customers back to fiber, services will restore over the course of several days,” Edge said. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and will continue to communicate significant changes as they occur.”
The National Weather Service in Juneau reported gusts peaking at storm-force levels starting Thursday morning (48-55 knots) in the Gulf of Alaska, but this morning the winds had backed down to 10 to 15 knots. Calm weather is expected on Saturday, with another front with gale-force low expected to enter the Gulf on Sunday.
The area is known for strong tidal currents and significant wave heights making for challenging conditions for vessels, said Andrew Park, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Juneau.
A Starlink terminal was installed for public use at Sitka Public Library, which has been a popular site for internet use during and after library hours.
The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which is in the midst of a regional effort to bring broadband internet to underserved communities, loaned a supply of brand new Starlink satellite terminals and network routers to local organizations for use providing essential services in the community.

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