PARIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — Paris, Ill. residents are having to live without the internet.
Tammy Gabel, communications manager for cable and internet provider Sparklight, reported Friday that on Thursday afternoon, a third-party utilizing a directional boring machine to install water lines in an area about 25 miles south of Westville struck a 48-strand fiber line buried seven feet underground. This resulted in the disruption of internet services to roughly 2,200 internet customers in the Paris area. Additionally, cable TV services have been disrupted for roughly 4,300 customers in the Paris, Westville, Hoopeston, Flora and Covington areas.
The boring machine pulled the fiber from its original location, which made it difficult to locate. Sparklight’s teams engaged contractors to assist in this effort, which continued overnight. This work was further complicated by water filling holes as they were dug.
Technicians are now in the process of splicing a new fiber optic cable that was installed to restore services to customers. Due to the complexity of installing a 1,000-foot span of buried fiber, the restoration process required additional time to repair. Gabel estimated that the repairs will be completed later Friday evening.
“We are committed to restoring services as quickly as possible, and regret any inconvenience experienced by our customers,” Gabel said. “Those who have been impacted by this disruption will proactively receive a credit on an upcoming bill.”
Updates are available on Sparklight’s Facebook and Twitter pages as additional information becomes available.
