GCI customers in Unalaska still don’t have cell phone service or internet, after a section of the telecommunication company’s underwater fiber cable was damaged over the weekend.
GCI Corporate Communications Manager Josh Edge said in an email Sunday night that full cable repairs are expected to take about 10 days. He said extreme weather conditions are impacting response efforts.
Unalaska saw blizzard conditions over the weekend, with wind gusts of over 95 knots, or about 110 miles per hour, and some snowfall. During the storm, GCI’s fiber connection to the island was cut, leaving many Unalaskans without internet or cell service, including 911 calls. The company doesn’t know what caused the damage to the cable, but they became aware of the disruption on Saturday morning.
According to the Unalaska Fire Department, 911 service has since been restored. Still, there may be some intermittent outages. Officials said if an emergency call doesn’t go through, to keep trying.
The department has been working closely with GCI to restore communications through a backup satellite system, until full repairs are completed.
According to the city, GCI techs located the break about 450 feet offshore of Ulakta Head, near the fiber cable’s landing site. GCI is coordinating with a specialized vessel to repair the break.
Starlink and OptimERA telecommunications services were not affected by the cable break and remain operational. Still, many Unalaskans rely on GCI for both cellular and internet services.
