So, after the Sprint Nextel Merger is all tidied up and signed, sealed and delivered, we get to see the ugly downside of wireless consolidation: a cut of a single fiber optic cable disables service for both the the former Sprint and Nextel networks throuoghout the west coast, in addition to Sprint-served wireline, internet and long distance service. Isn’t consolidation fun?!:
The problems began about 3:30 p.m. ET and affected wireless phones on the Sprint PCS and Nextel networks, as well as landline service, said John Taylor, Sprint’s manager of public affairs.
Internet service on Sprint Nextel phones was also delayed, the company said.
“A fiber-optic cable was cut between Phoenix [Arizona] and Palm Springs, California,” said Taylor.
The outage was made worse due to inopportune timing: according to the article, a number of other routes had been shut down for maintenance, forcing even more traffic than normal onto the cut route and magnifying the severity of the resulting outage.
Further, while Sprint claims the outage affected customers only on the west coast, users were reporting outages and network busies from places as far-flung as Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas.
Fantastic, Sprint!