UPDATE: Phones out across Jamestown, N.D., area after contractor cuts fiber line

A severed data line east of Jamestown has caused communication problems for the Jamestown area.

A Century Link fiber line was cut just west of Valley City, N.D., where N.D. Highway 1 meets Interstate 94, causing landline telephone problems in the region, according to Robin Anderson, marketing manager with Dakota Central Telecommunications.

Anderson said Century Link officials are currently working to repair the issue, and they were unable to give her an exact timetable for when the service would be restored.

According to Todd Volk, assistant Stutsman County emergency manager and 911 coordinator, Century Link officials have told him, "the cut is more extensive than originally thought and it is going to take 'a while' to repair,” as of 4:30 p.m.

Anderson said a contractor was reportedly doing some plowing in the area and accidently cut the fiber line.

As for 911 service, cellphone customers are still able to call 911.

For local emergency 911 purposes, Century Link customers can call 252-1000 and Dakota Central Telecommunications customers can call 952-8911.

Long-distance landlines do not work; callers must call 911 from a cellphone.

"As soon as service is restored I will be emailing all my media contacts an update," Volk said.

Volk said he was not aware of exactly how widespread the outages were beyond Stutsman County.

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