Phone services reach tipping point as the full brunt of the Cyclone Yasi along with the devastating floods hits.The Telco’s phone and mobile service north of the Queensland town of Ingham has suffered severe cut out, they have said, as power losses continue to hamper repair efforts.
The affected areas in the north of the state, rendered ‘red zones’ due to the severe combination of flooding and now damage inflicted by Cyclone Yasi, have made repair efforts by Telstra crews impossible to carry out, a spokesperson said.
The company is currently working with emergency services to restore power in the area.
Telstra service numbers including 13, 1800, STD, IDD, mobile and Triple Zero (E000) have also been affected and local media broadcasts are also subject to disruption.
However, phone calls over the local copper network are operating as usual.
“Telstra communications north of Ingham, Queensland, have been impacted due to the loss of mains power and backup generators supporting a key link in Ingham.”
“These links normally operate on backup power, but a combination of flooding and emergency services ‘red zones’ means we are unable to access and repair the issue immediately.”
They expect services to be restored later this morning, Telstra said.
