NO CELL PHONE SERVICE FOR THOUSANDS AFTER FIBER OPTIC CABLE BREAKS

Thousands of cell phone customers in the Hi-Desert were without service for about 10 hours Wednesday after a spliced fiber optic cable was blown apart during high winds in the Banning Pass. The cable carried phone lines for several carriers; Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers have all reported no cell phone service. Reports of cell phone outages ranged from Wonder Valley to Morongo Valley to parts of the low desert. Cell phone service was restored about 10 p.m.