Sure: Weather affects mobile users in Laxey -update

Tuesday 12 January 2010

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AFFECT MOBILE TELEPHONE USERS IN LAXEY

The current bad weather has affected Sure’s mobile telephone network in Laxey.

It is believed that the extreme weather is preventing Sure’s transmitter on top of Snaefell from working properly. As a consequence, reception has been lost in the Laxey area.

Sure customers attempting to use their mobile phones in the Laxey area have not been able to get a signal since late this afternoon, and they will not be able to get a signal until tomorrow (Wednesday 13 January) due to access restrictions on the Mountain road.

Mike Stanton, Country Manager of Sure Isle of Man, said: “Our network covers the vast majority of the island and is generally very reliable, but the inclement weather conditions that we are experiencing at the moment have affected one of our transmitters. Our local engineers will go to the transmitter at first light tomorrow, and will fix the problem as quickly as possible. We would like to apologise to customers for this disruption, and for any inconvenience that it may cause.”

Update: Wednesday 13 January 2010

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOBILE USE IN LAXEY

Sure’s mobile telephone network in Laxey will remain out of action until either the Mountain Road is open again or weather conditions improve to allow the technicians to reach the transmitter.

Sure’s transmitter on top of Snaefell incurred technical difficulties yesterday afternoon [Tuesday 12 January] as a result of the extreme weather conditions. Since then, reception has been lost in the Laxey area and Sure customers attempting to use their mobile phones in the area have not been able to get a signal.

This morning [Wednesday 13 January] Sure engineers tried to reach the transmitter, but conditions were too treacherous. They will not be able to restore the mobile network in Laxey until the weather has improved significantly and they are able to walk to the tower, which is located close to Snaefell’s highest point. Weather forecasts indicate that it could be a week before the necessary work can be carried out on the transmitter.

Mike Stanton, Country Manager of Sure Isle of Man, said: “I can only apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by this disruption. We had hoped to rectify the problem at first light this morning, but it became evident very quickly that it was simply too dangerous to allow anyone to get to our transmitter.

“The Mountain Road is closed, and getting to the top of Snaefell is impossible in the current conditions, so we will have to wait until the weather has improved. Obviously we want to restore our network service to its usual excellent standard as quickly as possible, but the safety of our staff must come first. While we wait for the weather to improve, I can only apologise to those customers who have been affected and we will keep you updated on progress.”