CenturyLink restores phone service to Eastern Carolina community

N.C. (WITN) - An Eastern Carolina community that went without phone service for nearly a month is able to take calls again.

A CenturyLink spokesperson said a technical issue caused a phone outage and that phone services would be back up last weekend. According to members of an area church and surrounding residents, CenturyLink kept its promise.

Members of Triumph Missionary Baptist Church and residents who live off of Sticks Road in Beaufort/Pitt County hadn’t heard the phone ring since Father’s Day. The telecommunications company they rely on for service is CenturyLink.

Church Secretary Betty Daniels says a spokesperson for the company called her a few minutes after WITN first reported the outage on July 6.

“She put in a request to have the lines repaired and told me that the lines were out because of [a] cable break somewhere but wouldn’t tell me where and said they would be repaired by July 15,” Daniels said.

Thankfully, the lines were repaired a few days early for the church.

WITN reached out to CenturyLink about the outage and they sent the following statement.

While church members are rejoicing, Carolyn Cobb, who lives off Sticks Road, says her phone is a bit staticky.

“When it rings, you can’t hear the person you’re talking to,” Cobb said. “It’ll finally come in but when my phone rings I can’t hear what the person is saying.”

Another worry Cobb has is her phone bill.

“The bill is the same as it was as if I was still getting service,” Cobb said. “I just want to know if they’re going to charge us or take something off the bill.”

WITN reached out to Century Link about the static and bill issue that Cobb and other residents are dealing with. We have not heard back from them yet.