Southern Cross cable cut severs Net connection - News

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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Southern Cross cable cut severs Net connection

By Rachel Lebihan, ZDNet Australia
July 30, 2001
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/soa/Southern-Cross-cable-cut-severs-Net-connection/0,139023165,120251587,00.htm

update The Southern Cross undersea cable between Sydney and the US was severed yesterday, leaving Internet traffic grinding to a halt.

The main submarine cable, connecting Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii to the West Coast of the US, was cut about 20km off the coast of Newcastle at about 8am yesterday. The disaster occurred at a time when a back-up cable was undergoing scheduled maintenance - dealing service providers who use the cable a double blow.

"Southern Cross services terminating in Australia were disrupted for a short period of 12 - 15 hours on Sunday following a cable break 20 kilometres from Sydney," the company said in a statement.

The cable cut occurred during a bout of bad weather off Sydney's coastline which saw the harbour closed to all ships and boats.

"Southern Cross is investigating confirmed reports of shipping in the immediate vicinity at the time of the break. At least one other cable, Tasman 1, has also suffered damage," the company said.

At the time of the break Southern Cross was completing planned maintenance to another segment of the network which involved the re-laying and burial of a segment of cable near the coast of Oregon. That segment was quickly re-commissioned, Internet traffic re-routed to this back-up link and full service restored to all affected customers at about midnight last night.

-The repair to the cable break off the Sydney coast is expected to take 12 days. Fortunately our customers will continue to be in service during this period due to the loop nature of our protected network", president and CEO of the Southern Cross Cable Network, Fiona Beck, said.

The CS Pacific Guardian repair ship is currently en route to the break and is expected to arrive at the scene in about four days time.

-Until the repair is completed and full loop protection restored, Southern Cross has suspended all maintenace and upgrade activity that could potentially disrupt service", Beck said.