Eden Prairie City Center’s phone woes blamed on wiring problem

We all know the feeling of computers crashing, cell phones dying unexpectedly, cars not starting due to a faulty chip, or the cable TV network suddenly going off the air.

The growth in technology over the past few decades has led to wonderful leaps forward in our lives: worldwide communication, a vast reference library at our fingertips, and the ability to connect directly with family and friends with just a few taps on the keyboard.

However, with all these advances comes a growing list of problems. It seems that as technology advances, more problems arise.

Over the past three weeks, Eden Prairie City Center, located at 8080 Mitchell Road, has experienced numerous technical problems with its phone system.

During that period, three instances occurred where a key component of the system malfunctioned. Individuals inside the city center could make calls, but those outside couldn’t reach them.

You would get a recording saying, “All circuits are busy. Please try back later.” If you tried back in another hour, you would get the same message.

This lasted for about a day. Then the problem seemed rectified, but it was only temporary. A little more than a week later, the issue returned, lasting just as long. Then, it appeared to be corrected again. Again, it wasn’t.

Just a few days before Labor Day, the problem returned for a third time, lasting roughly two full business days.

Then last week, the system was back working.

What caused this? Not an error at the city center, home to most municipal offices, including the police department, but the building’s phone provider.

Lumen (previously known as Centurylink) told City Hall officials that there was “a wiring problem.”

“When the first incident happened, we didn’t find out about it until it was well underway,” said City Administrator Rick Getschow. “We were making routine calls out of the building, which were working fine.”

After being notified, likely through social media, about the problem, city officials set out to address the matter.

A day later, all seemed right in the eyes of Lumen and, in turn, in the eyes of the city.

As said earlier, the problem came back two more times. Now, hopefully, it has finally been solved and will not return.