In an effort to reduce cable cuts and the telecommunications outages that result from them, the Washington State legislature recently mandated that a single state-wide toll-free telephone number be used for referring excavators to the appropriate cable locate service.
The number is 800-424-5555.
It is to be prominently displayed in all phone directories and Sprint is putting the number on its customer billing statements at least once a year.
According to Kelly Bowe, Sprint's 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."
Bowe 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."
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