JT expects some disruption to services over the next week or so after three out of its four international submarine cables were cut yesterday evening. It is thought that the three fibre-optic cables to the UK were cut by a ship dragging its anchor along the seabed. This also cut a number of other submarine cables in its path. All communications traffic to/from the Channel Islands is now being routed via the submarine cable link with France instead. However, with all traffic now using this connection, customers may notice some impact on services. JT engineers have been working on the situation throughout the night. They have already mobilised the specialist team that repairs major undersea cables. It is not possible to get a precise time yet on when those cables will be repaired, but the work will be completed as soon as possible.

Daragh McDermott, Director of Corporate Affairs for JT, said:
“We would like to sincerely apologise to our customers for any disruption to their services.

“We are working as quickly as we can to get our undersea cables repaired, and get normal service resumed. Customers will be kept up-to-date with what is an extremely challenging emergency engineering operation at sea.

“It is exceptionally unlucky and unprecedented for three submarine cables to the UK to be cut in the same day. It proves the value of having multiple links in the network, in order to provide a back-up connection via France.

“There are lots of cables running across the seabed. We understand that it is not just JT who have been affected in this way. Unfortunately, other cables also have been cut.”

 

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