ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Alaska communications company that had its underwater fiber optic line severed by Arctic sea ice this summer has completed repair operations and restored service, according to company officials.
The damaged line — Quintillion said the cut was located about 34 miles north of Oliktok Point — cut the company’s primary internet and cell service to roughly 20,000 Alaskan customers, said Quintillion President Michael McHale during a Wednesday teleconference. “We’re targeting deep burial on the service,” he said. “We will also up the armoring, we’ve done a double armor cable in the area that was severed, and that’s the work that’s going on over the next ... couple of weeks or so, and we’ll take our time, we’ll do it right.”