Ketchikan’s city hall on June 11, 2020 (KRBD file photo by Maria Dudzak)
Ketchikan’s City Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday. City Clerk Kim Stanker says the council will consider declaring an emergency after a recent Ketchikan Public Utilities internet outage.
Customers of Ketchikan’s city-owned broadband utility recently suffered slowdowns after Canadian fiber optic cables connecting Ketchikan with Seattle were severed in at least two places. Officials blamed one cut on an errant Canadian dump truck near Prince Rupert. But after that cable was repaired, officials said widespread flooding and mudslides in British Columbia had cut off the connection further south.
KPU said internet service was largely restored late Monday night.
The emergency declaration would allow KPU to purchase additional temporary backup internet capacity without a lengthy competitive bidding process.
The meeting in City Council chambers gets underway at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Disclosure: KPU Telecommunications is a financial supporter of KRBD.
