Severed line cuts Souda phone service

Severed line cuts Souda phone service
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, January 17, 2008

A severed fiber-optic cable on the Greek island of Crete left Navy personnel stationed at Souda Bay with no communications Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said.

The cable, owned by the local OTE telephone company, runs between the cities of Chania and Iraklion, and provides telephone and Internet connections between the island and the rest of the world, said Pat Ferry, base communications officer for Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, located just outside of Chania.

When the cable somehow was cut on Tuesday, it severed all telephone communications on military, or DSN, phone lines, e-mails to any computer off base, and connection to the Internet, Ferry said. Commercial telephone lines worked because they are on a separate system, he said.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the local phone company temporarily restored communications, Ferry said.

Officials are expecting another disruption in service Thursday, when the local phone company removes the temporary connection, and restores the Navy’s service to its own cable, he said.


Article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51702