An undersea fiber cable was damaged nearly two weeks ago, disrupting phone and internet service across the Aleutians. GCI said coverage could be back to normal by June 12.
A repair vessel, the Cable Innovator, arrived near Chignik Bay on June 7, and crews started pulling the damaged cable up from the ocean floor, according to Josh Edge, GCI’s communications manager.
Once the cable is aboard the ship, crews will inspect, repair and splice the damaged section, Edge said. The company is aiming for full service by June 12, as long as weather and conditions at the repair site stay favorable.
Since the outage, GCI has restored limited service through a backup network of satellite providers. That reaches affected communities including Akutan, Chignik Bay, False Pass, King Cove, Perryville and Unalaska. GCI has said those speeds are slower than normal because of capacity limits.
The company also said in a text message to customers that those affected will automatically get credits for their service plan fees.
