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Several Hawaiian Telcom customers have been without phone and high-speed Internet service for weeks in East Honolulu because of debris from a water main break last month.
The service disruption began about two weeks ago in the areas of Kaimuki and Maunalani Heights, and the number of customers affected has increased recently to about 140, said Ann Nishida Fry, Hawaiian Telcom spokeswoman.
Nishida Fry said the cause of the outage is believed to be a 12-inch water main break on Waialae Avenue near Koko Head Avenue on Oct. 21. Water from the break pushed several feet of asphalt, rocks and debris into an open manhole containing the phone company’s underground cables.
Hawaiian Telcom crews have been working seven days a week for the past two weeks trying to restore service, Nishida Fry said.
Contractors were also hired to help with debris removal to avoid causing further damage to the equipment.
Customers experiencing a service disruption can report the outage to Hawaiian Telcom at 643-6111 or online at hawaiiantel.com/support. Customers are encouraged to provide alternate contact information to receive situation updates.
Hawaiian Telcom said customers can have their calls forwarded to a working number and receive a pro-rated credit. The company also has a limited number of cell phones to loan out on a case-by-case basis.
