AT&T spokeswoman Carrie Corey says a contractor accidentally cut an underground fiber optic line, cutting service in the provider's West Central Texas district. That left callers to Fort Stockton, Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa and other places getting a persistent busy signal.
People in Terlingua in the Big Bend told the Odessa American their landline phones had been fine but cell service was knocked out.
Fort Stockton police chief Art Fuentes told television station KOSA his department had to use an emergency backup plan that forwarded calls to a working county, which then relayed the information back.
Corey says AT&T service was restored by Monday night.
