a shipThe Cable Innovator astatine activity successful Salisbury Sound 25 miles northbound of Sitka Monday morning. (Martin Becker photo)

A cablegram repair vessel is mending a surgery fibre optic cablegram that took Sitka offline successful precocious August, but it could beryllium adjacent to a week until repairs are finished.

The British-flagged Cable Innovator arrived astatine nan tract of nan break complete nan weekend.

“So erstwhile a break for illustration this occurs, GCI is portion of a master work group that allows for these repair ships to go disposable successful nan uncommon arena that we person a break,” said Jenifer Nelson successful an question and reply pinch KCAW connected Monday (9-9-24). Nelson is nan elder head of agrarian affairs for GCI, Sitka’s superior net and cellular work provider.

“The fibre repair displacement past mobilized to get to Sitka and it arrived connected tract complete nan weekend,” Nelson said. “The unit aboard nan Cable Innovator is actively engaged successful efforts to repair nan damaged fibre optic cablegram correct now, truthful they are connected site, actively working.”

The break occurred successful a agelong of fibre optic cablegram betwixt Sitka and Angoon successful Salisbury Sound. Rumors that a cruise vessel was progressive successful nan break stay unsubstantiated. Nelson said nan origin of nan problem is still unknown.

“It’s uncommon for a fibre optic cablegram to break. There tin beryllium tons of reasons that this tin happen, and we are conscionable unsure astatine this clip arsenic to what nan nonstop origin of nan break was,” Nelson said.

Nelson said nan repairs should beryllium completed by nan extremity of nan week. Meanwhile, nan institution has restored basal net and compartment work utilizing what Nelson describes arsenic a operation of outer and microwave technology, though Sitkans proceed to study mixed results.

Nelson says GCI is offering a period of free in installments to each customers affected, and apologizes for nan inconvenience that constricted net has caused Sitkans. The in installments will beryllium automatically applied to customers’ bills.