Vandals damage Telstra exchange near Perth

Telstra has warned it could take “some time” to completely reconnect up to 4000 services cut off by vandals at a south-east Perth exchange building.

The telco said in a statement provided to iTnews that the disruption to services “in the Gosnells area … is the result of vandals causing malicious damage to a main cable”.

“We have reported the matter to police and ask that anyone who has information related to this incident to please come forward,” a Telstra spokesperson said.

“We are already working to make the necessary repairs as quickly as possible but such is the extent of the damage it may take some time for the work to be completed.”

The telco apologised to affected customers for the ongoing disruption.

WAToday reported “extensive” damage to sections of cabling in the exchange, which the vandals are said to have gained access to sometime on the morning of Friday September 29, Perth time.

The area’s federal MP Matt Keogh is leading calls for more Telstra resources to be put into the repair. He said the current ETA is late Thursday night this week.

It is not only Telstra-branded services that have been affected. ISP iiNet said that some of its customers were “unable to use their PSTN (landline telephone), ADSL or Naked DSL services.”