Rats feast on phone cables

RATS are being blamed for a massive breakdown in a mobile phone network in part of west Cork.

Since last August, people on the Mizen peninsula have experienced loss of transmission on O2 after underground cables were cut.

It is believed vermin feasted on the cables, particularly affecting coverage in Goleen and other areas west of Schull.

Engineers from the O2 company have been trying to rectify the problem, but, according to a company spokesman, delays have been caused in fixing the network after cables were damaged at Mount Gabriel.

“The land at Mount Gabriel is owned by an organisation, independent of O2, and permission is required for O2 to access the site to carry out remedial works,” the company said. “Access to the site has been granted on an intermittent basis only to date to enable the problem to be fixed.”

He added, to prevent similar problems in the future, O2 plans to invest in an overhead link for the area. It is envisaged this part of the project will get under way today.

The O2 spokesman admitted the problem had led to intermittent coverage problems in the area since early August.

Goleen-based county councillor Dermot Sheehan (FG) said there was severe disruption to a number of O2 users in the area.

“Business people, delivery men, the local parish priest, local doctor and voluntary members of the Irish Coast Guard were all hit,” Mr Sheehan said.

He also urged the mobile phone company to compensate the customers affected.