GCI outage shuts down Alaska calls

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A GCI network outage temporarily shut down service in numerous communities across Alaska on Sunday, including 911 calls, according to the network.

In a Facebook post shortly before 12:30 p.m. Sunday, GCI wrote that the service failure began around 10 a.m. and applied to “wireless voice, data, text, and internet service in multiple communities across the state.”

“Our team has identified the problem and our technicians are working as quickly as possible to fix this issue,” GCI wrote. “Restoring service is our top priority and we appreciate your patience. We apologize for this interruption and will be sure to keep you updated throughout the day as we work to resolve the issue.”

Most of the network issues had been fixed by 4 p.m. Sunday, according to GCI spokesperson Heather Handyside, although the company mentioned that it is still working to restore full service across the state. Handyside said around 10:20 p.m. Sunday night that 911 access “has been largely restored statewide.”

A pre-recorded message on the company’s customer service line says calls to technical support are not needed at the moment.

Customers inside and outside of Anchorage reported experiencing problems with the network on Sunday. According to one customer in the Northwest Arctic Borough, “only landlines within the same town can call each other.”

According to the Anchorage Police Department, the outage was preventing Anchorage customers from getting through to a 911 operator. In order to reach emergency services, APD said to call 311 or (907) 786-8900.

The Wasilla Police Department and Palmer Fire & Rescue encouraged their GCI and Verizon community members to dial (907) 352-5401, Option 6, to reach an emergency dispatcher.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates

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