Posted on: Sunday, May 13, 2001

Phones stay quiet in Hawai'i Kai

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

Approximately 2,500 Verizon Hawai'i customers in Haha'ione Valley will still be without phone service today on Mother's Day, traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for long-distance calls.

Verizon Hawai'i spokesman Brian Blevins said service to the Hawai'i Kai valley won't be completely restored until tomorrow.

The company had about 400 customers back on line at 5 p.m. yesterday and was expecting to restore service to another 35 customers per hour throughout the night.

About 3,400 households lost their phone service Thursday afternoon when a private contractor severed an underground cable on Hawai'i Kai Drive fronting the post office.

Verizon officials said workers are going through the tedious process of splicing together about 3,500 lines that provide service to the 3,400 customers in the valley.

As each line is reconnected, service to that customer is restored, Blevins said.

Verizon is offering a service that forwards residential calls to cellular telephones.

Eight pay phones at the O'ahu Club on Hawai'i Kai Drive are also available for valley residents to make free local calls, Blevins said.

The pay phones also accept phone cards for long-distance calls.