Phone Service Still Out in Parts of Clayton

Clayton, N.C. — As many as 2,000 Embarq phone customers in Clayton lost service Monday evening, including 911 service, after an automobile accident cut two fiber-optic lines and two copper phone lines, company officials said.

The accident was at North Lombard and East Front streets.

Jason Barbour of Johnston County Emergency Management said repair crews had made extensive progress, especially in downtown Clayton, by 10 p.m., but other customers were still out.

Embarq workers at the scene, where they were splicing temporary repairs, said they hoped to have all customers back in service by 1 a.m. Tuesday, but service was still out for an unknown number of customers as of 6 a.m.

Officials do not know when full service will be restored.

With lines out, Clayton police increased their patrols in the area. Cellular service could reach 911, but the sudden increase in cellular use because of the outage strained that system, and some people could not get cell phone signals.

Those in need of emergency assistance were also urged to go to the Clayton Fire Station.

The 5:40 p.m. outage affected downtown businesses, including automated teller machines, but happened after some businesses had closed for the day Barbour said.

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As for terrorist, I think they would go for much more high profile targets than cutting phone service to a few people. They want something dramatic and something that will instill fear. Phone service is mundane to them and you would have to cut a lot of lines to make a big difference. Too much coordination for too little bang (think about it, it would be pretty much the situation they have today which is not even front page news locally).

I would focus security on things like the nuclear power plant or the water supply or maybe perhaps beefing up the internet in terms of its ability to withstand an attack from cyber-terrorists.

The added redundancy mentioned would be nice but with most people having cell phones, I think land line useage in 20 years will be obsolete anyway as everything will be wireless for the most part (satellite or cell for internet tv and phone).

BigUNCFan
May 15, 2007 10:32 a.m.

Hope everyone has phone service restored soon.

For those of you that think Clayton is farm land, you haven't been there lately have you? On an everyday basis, they are clearing off the land and building rows of houses and businesses.

packandcanesfan
May 15, 2007 9:15 a.m.

OK, let me re-phrase my comment. There is more than farmland in Clayton and more than retail. A growing community needs to update communications systems or be prepared when things like this happen. Not everyone has cell phones or can get to the fire station in an emergency. The money the NC gov't has that could help fund improvements and preparations for things like this as well as disaters in Clayotn and other cities is being spent on less important things.

edits
May 15, 2007 8:41 a.m.

Well at least my computer works this am. Everything else was broke last night.

ladyblue
May 15, 2007 8:28 a.m.

Animal Lover: No, not all Fiber / Copper lines are underground. actually 85% of them are still on telephone poles. TWC also uses the telco poles. They have a vast amount of theirs underground as well. However, with digging crews hitting fiber lines all the time, there's no real way to stay up 100% of the time. Either an accident knocks a pole down and causes it, or some idiot on a backhoe takes it out.