| In an effort to reduce cable cuts and telecommunications outages that result from them, the Washington State legislature has mandated that a single state-wide toll-free telephone number be used for referring excavators to the appropriate cable locate service. The number, (800) 424-5555, will be prominently displayed in all phone directories. Sprint is putting the number on its customer billing statements at least once a year as well.
According to Brad Camp, Sprint’s local public affairs manager, FCC studies have shown that about half of all telecommunication facility outages are the result of excavation damage. “In the communities we serve here in Oregon and Washington, we’ve had 19 outages in Oregon and 22 in Washington during the past three years. These have affected over 15,000 customers and interfered with over 200 hours of service. By getting a correct cable locate before digging, perhaps half of these outages could have been prevented.”
Camp also added that the “call before you dig” message will be stressed in other ways by the company. “We really need everyone’s cooperation in eliminating telephone outages due to cable cuts.”. |
