Inland Cellular still working to restore voice service

SPOKANE — Inland Cellular customers may see a resumption of voice service by late Monday evening, according to a press release issued by the company Monday afternoon.

“In order to restore our voice network, there are a variety of technical elements that need to align. Because of these many variables providing a definite timeline for restoration is difficult,” according to a statement on the company’s Facebook page. “Every effort is being made to restore service by late tonight.”

Inland Cellular customers lost voice service Sunday evening. A press release from Inland Cellular said the company experienced a “major commercial power disruption.”

The company’s data and email services were restored Sunday night.

The disruption was a fire on the Lewiston Grade along Highway 95 near Lewiston, Idaho. The fire damaged or destroyed electrical transformers in the area, which caused power surges that damaged the company’s equipment, the press release said.

The damage was so severe it “destroyed our battery backups and generators, damaging essential hardware and information. We were unable to implement our backup voice switch.”