Here’s How All Of Tasmania Got Cut Off From The Internet Yesterday
The entire state lost access to the internet and phone services.
Tasmanians lost access to internet and phone services yesterday after two cables connecting the island state to the mainland were accidentally severed.
The disruption led to social media and internet blackout for Tasmanians, with the additional loss of ATMs and EFTPOS services along with some free-to-air television and radio stations. The transport sector suffered too, with flights departing and arriving Tasmania being delayed as well as E-scooters being affected.
Tasmania’s connection to the mainland is made possible by three cables, two larger ones owned by Telstra, and a smaller line operated by Basslink which carries power while being capable of some emergency communication. Telstra’s services are designed to still operate if one of its cables are disrupted, with the backup cable being capable of sharing the broken one’s load.
Wildly, both of these Telstra cables were cut within two hours of each other yesterday in unrelated construction incidents, leading to the loss of internet for the entire state.
A civil construction project in Frankston, Victoria damaged the first Telstra cable on the mainland at around 11pm yesterday, while third party roadwork in Tasmania led to the second cable being destroyed at 1pm, as reported by the ABC
So someone in Frankston ( Melbourne ) cut a cord cutting out power..phone and internet services in Northern Tasmania….no one ever heard of DIAL B4 YOU DIG 🤔
— Darren Gilmore 🇦🇺 (@darrengilmore6) March 1, 2022
Ben Howe, chief executive of Dial Before You Dig, told SMH that the incident highlights how unsafe construction projects can have unforeseen consequences.
“It highlights the importance of utilising the DBYD service prior to any works occurring and contractors taking precautions in implementing safe digging practices, including the protection of infrastructure in the area,” Howe told SMH
Telstra technicians had to reportedly roll out a thousand kilometres of cable to repair the severed connection in Frankston, with service eventually being restored to the state at 7pm.
This isn’t the first time Tasmanians have had trouble with their connection to the mainland. In 2015, a deep sea cable responsible for transferring power between Tasmania and Victoria was damaged, creating an six month long energy crisis and leading to $30 million compensation claim.