After some bridges over the Hikuwai River in Tairāwhiti were washed away, Chorus has successfully overlaid 800m of fibre as it begins to restore connectivity to the surrounding area. Photo: Supplied / Chorus
Further landslides are providing challenges as Chorus works to restore its telecommunications network in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions.
The network was wiped out by Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this week.
On Sunday, Chorus said four known breaks in the fibre into Gisborne had been repaired.
One involved use of a helicopter and overlaying new fibre above the ridge line of a steep gorge where there had been "significant road damage", it said in a press release.
As that work was done, three new faults occurred in fibre that had previously been intact.
"One of the three new breaks has been fixed while repairs are continuing on the other two," Chorus said.
In the press release, Chorus said the risk of further slips and other activities that could damage the network showed how important is was to restore the network.
Chorus national field manager Phil Gibb. Photo: Supplied / Chorus
Overnight, a partial link to Gisborne and Wairoa was fixed, meaning 111 calling is available to all mobile service providers.
Chorus said work continues to improve the partially restored link so further services can start working again.
"As that work continues, there is risk that the partial service may be interrupted. Between Gisborne and Wairoa, there was one known fibre break which has been repaired.
"From Wairoa to Napier, there are at least three complex fibre breaks, spanning very large areas where the road has been comprehensively damaged. "
National field manager Phil Gibb said Chorus could give the assurance that every effort was being put in to get the network up and running.
"But you cannot but help feel for the people when you're local and you see this devastation that's around."
That included some of its workers who were being asked to go out and restore the network, Gibb said.
The area that needed to be restored was "massive", Gibb said.
"People just want to be connected. There's a lot of stories going around where they just want to be connected to their whānau up in those rural communities - and even with the rest of the world, not just within New Zealand.
"We've got people who need to move back into their homes, people who don't have homes.
"So we're continuously thinking forward, what are our next plans, and what do we need to put in place."
