Oceanic Update: Internet/Cable Service Restored to Thousands

By Wendy Osher

(Update: 11:30 a.m. 7/16/15)

Service was restored overnight to the majority of customers affected by an internet and cable outage reportedly caused by a traffic incident in Kahului in which a truck pulled down a major cable line and fled the scene. The incident was reported at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at the Kaʻahumanu and Wahine Pio intersection near Keōpūolani Park in Central Maui.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s general manager for Maui County, Rick Colletto, said the incident resulted in a severed cable to one of the company’s major fiber trunks, affecting a few thousand customers including Paradise TV in Kahului, and customers as far away as Hāna.  That’s because one of the lines extends up to Makawao and Haleakalā, and is relayed over to East Maui.

According to Colletto, maintenance crews worked until 11 p.m. and fiber optic techs worked overnight to resplice 80 fibers that supply service to 28-29 fiber optic nodes. Colletto said the process was concluded at around 6:30 a.m. today.  Customers on Ano Street in Kahului reported having service restored at around 8:30 or 9 a.m.

“It was a pretty extensive outage,” Colletto tells Maui Now. “We don’t get these too often. It affected all of our services including cable, internet and phone.”

Although the outage was extensive, company officials say they were not inundated by service calls from the incident, as service was restored gradually, starting at 10:30 p.m.

Colletto said a police report has been filed.

(UPDATE: 7 a.m. 7/16/15) While on site repairs have concluded, some Oceanic Time Warner cable/internet customers continue to experience service outages. At 4:30 a.m., the estimated restoration time for parts of Kahului still affected by the outage was projected to be around 10:30 a.m.

(UPDATE : 5:30 p.m. 7/15/15) Oceanic wrapping up repairs to downed lines at the Kaʻahumanu /Wahinepio intersection.

(Original Post:  4:28 p.m.m 7/15/15)  Emergency crews on scene of downed lines near the Wahinepio Avenue/Kaʻahumanu Avenue intersection in Kahului. Sources tell us this is temporarily impacting Internet service for some customers in Central Maui.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Maui offices at Maui Lani in Wailuku. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Cable line repair at Kaʻahumanu Avenue, 7/15/15. Photo credit: Alia Ewaliko

Cable line repair at Kaʻahumanu Avenue, 7/15/15. Courtesy photo.

Cable line repair at Kaʻahumanu Avenue, 7/15/15. Maui Now photo.

Cable line repair at Kaʻahumanu Avenue, 7/15/15. Maui Now photo.

Cable line repair at Kaʻahumanu Avenue, 7/15/15. Maui Now photo.