PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Some landline phone service is currently down for 10,000 customers in Madawaska and Presque Isle, according to the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency.
The outage was reported by the agency around 1 p.m. Friday. Affected customers are unable to use a landline to call 911.
Agency director Darren Woods said that he was notified about the disconnection, which does affect 911 calls. The outage leaves cellphone service unaffected, and people should use their cellphones to contact 911 if emergency help is needed, he said.
The outage is not affecting landline phone customers of Fairpoint Communications, according to a spokesperson for the company.
Woods said that it is suspected that lines experienced a “fibercut,” an accidental break in an optical fiber, and that crews are out finding it and preparing to restore service.
He said that it’s difficult to estimate when technicians will restore the landline connection, but said he will alert the public when they have restored service via social media on the agency’s Facebook page.