Businesses in the CBD around Meyer Street are fuming over a Telkom cable theft that has left a large portion of the CBD without Wi-Fi and telephone lines.

The cable was stolen on Friday last week, and a source within Telkom confirmed to www.mobserver.co.za that the affected areas should plan for another week without internet and phones.

The cable is one of Telkom’s main lines running to the central distribution hub. A replacement cable had to be ordered and the cable has not arrived yet, the source confirms.

After arrival, the cable will have to be fitted and trenched, which will also be a time-consuming job.

Businesses around OK Meyer Street , including Jitters Restaurant, cannot afford to go without Wi-Fi and phones for another week.

Other businesses like Sasol Meyer Street have also been impacted by the delay with replacing the cable.

“The lack of clear information from Telkom is very frustrating, we just want to know what is happening and when the problem will be sorted,” a business owner raged.

“Technicians are on-site, but the problem is bigger than anticipated, residents must plan ahead for the next week,” the source told www.mobserver.co.za.

The dilemma spurred OH Frewin Printers to install fibre late this week in order to be able to connect with clients. Large parts of the CBD remain incommunicado since last Saturday following the theft at Telkom’s central hub during the night.