Internet outage hits 15,000 customers

Photo / NZME.

Some users wait 12 hours after Chorus fault cuts their internet connection.

Some Aucklanders were without broadband for up to 12 hours after a fault with Chorus cut the internet connection.

Chorus said 15,000 customers were affected by the outage, which centred from a fault in the Mayoral Drive exchange about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

The fault was fixed after 18 minutes, but customers faced a long night without the internet as they all struggled to get connected.

Spark media manager Richard Llewellyn said about 4000 customers were affected by the fault, and some faced ongoing problems with their connection as they tried to get back online.

Spark customers from all parts of Auckland emailed NZME. News Service to say their service wasn't restored until 12 hours later, around 8am.

One Orcon customer said he was reconnected to the internet within an hour while Spark customer Layth Shasha said he was still without the internet in Unsworth Heights through to mid-morning.

He said he was frustrated by the lack of information from Spark last night about the outage.

"I'm an IT guy, I understand that issues happen but why don't they put out a small alert ... to say there is an outage and an update will come when it's fixed."

North Shore resident Diane Ensoll said she lost the internet around 9pm and it wasn't restored until 8am yesterday.

"My husband was working late from home on an email that needed to be sent and we lost all connection."

Mitch Cuevas lives in Grey Lynn and is connected to the fibre optic network through Spark.

He said he lost the internet at 9pm and the connection wasn't restored when he left the house at 8am.

"My wife works from home and she has documents and things she needed to access that she couldn't. It definitely caused some problems."

He said he expected better transparency from Spark.

"If you've got a problem, no worries, but don't act like there's no problem."

Meanwhile, Mangere Bridge resident Pat Rossiter said he was concerned that scammers had taken advantage of the Spark outage already.

Mr Rossiter isn't a Spark customer but read the news of the outage online this morning.

He received a phone call from a person with an Asian accent claiming to be a Spark technician, who said his internet connection would be cut for two months.

"I couldn't help myself and burst out with laughter ... he didn't finish his pitch," Mr Rossiter said.

Mr Rossiter was concerned that others might fall victim to the scam given the widespread outage.

"They'll be calling other people as we speak."