After more than a day offline, Unalaska’s GCI cell service was up and running again Monday afternoon.
Spokesperson Heather Handyside said GCI technicians first noticed a problem Sunday around noon.
“We sent a tech out to check on our earth station, which is the structure that is the link between our satellite and the powers that are on the ground on the island,” Handyside said. “We did some trouble shooting and were able to determine there was a faulty piece of equipment that needed to be replaced.”
The local worker tried to repair the equipment, but was unsuccessful. So Handyside says GCI put another team of techs on the next available flight with a replacement piece.
“The Alaska climate and conditions are really hard on equipment, like it’s hard on your home and your vehicle,” she said. “Telecommunications equipment isn’t immune from damage from regular wear and tear and from the elements.”
Handyside says cell service was restored by 4 p.m Monday.
