Update: West Maui network outage caused by break in fiber

Update:

Hawaiian Telcom reports service was restored to the remainder of affected customers at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023.

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We have reports of network issues in the West Maui area affecting mobile service quality for various wireless and wi-fi customers in Lahaina.

Hawaiian Telcom reports that some customers in West Maui, including Lahaina, Nāpili, Kāʻanapali and Kapalua, may be experiencing a temporary disruption of phone and Internet service. Some wireless providers may also be impacted, depending on how their network is designed.

Customers are advised to check with their respective wireless providers regarding impacts.

Hawaiian Telcom spokesperson Ann Nishida tells Maui Now the company has located the source of the problem, a break in a fiber in Lahaina. Crews are on scene now, working on restoration.

“We aren’t sure how this one occurred but suspect the windy weather may have contributed,” Nishida tells Maui Now.

Maui Police Department spokesperson Alana Pico tells Maui Now that the loss of coverage was still being worked on by phone carriers and companies on Saturday afternoon.

Dispatch reported they were still receiving some 911 cell calls from the west side, and were continuing to monitor the situation.

In addition to cell and wi-fi service, some area businesses were also reporting difficulties in completing credit card transactions.

AT&T’s company online outage portal indicates that the company expects to have service back to normal by Feb. 26, 2023. A T-Mobile representative reports there is an ongoing update on its towers around the area to provide a faster and reliable connection. Maui Now is awaiting details from Spectrum. A Verizon customer service representative was unable to confirm outage information.

We will update information as more details become available.