Squirrel, rats causes phone, internet outage

By John Miller, 02/8/24 3:49 PM

HOPE/PRESCOTT – When all was said and done, it was a rodent problem.

The recent situation with cell phones and the internet were literally the result of a squirrel getting into the lines. In Hopt, the damage was done to lines by a squirrel, leaving the area without cell phone or internet service. Some businesses shut down early as they couldn’t accept credit cards. In Prescott, the problem was caused by rats and was corrected Wednesday night.

However, the problem has been solved as crews from Windstream showed up to correct the situation. According to Flavio, Field Opts Network Tech with Windstream, damage to the splicer has been repaired. He said issues such as this aren’t uncommon this time of the year as animals like squirrels get into the system looking to chew or build their nests. He added, not much damage was done, but it was enough as it involved some of the fiber strands.