Damage to Blackfoot line causes communications outage in western Sanders County

A large team of specialists, including cable and fiber-optic technicians and engineers, was assembling along the Clark Fork River on New Year’s Eve to solve a major communications disruption in Thompson Falls and west to the Idaho border.

Blackfoot Telecommunications spokesman Wil Anderson explained what was known early on.

“The fiber optic line to the area crossed the Clark Fork River aerially in a conduit,” he said. That line was broken early Sunday morning in what is assumed to be a weather-related incident, though specific details as to how it happened are not yet clear.

Crews are working in coordination with Sanders County Sheriff’s office and other emergency services to determine the best temporary fix, given the frigid winter working conditions and the size of the problem they’re dealing with. The plan is to lay a temporary cable in the ground along an alternate route.

As of Monday evening, Dec. 31, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office cannot be reached by land line. Emergency 911 calls are still answered, as they are routed to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, which contacts Sanders County through radio. Most cell phones are still working, though some are also affected by this outage.

Several businesses are unable to process credit and debit cards, and cannot be reached by phone. Banking services are still available, and online banking can be accessed through cell phones.

Service is expected to return sometime late Tuesday or Wednesday. Updates are posted regularly at blackfoot.com/contact.