Sheriff’s Office advises Hovland residents amid phone service outage

Residents in the Hovland area and along the Gunflint Trail are reporting issues with phone service provided by CenturyLink and its parent company, Lumen Technologies.

On July 11, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office reported that 32 landline customers may have lost service. Wireless devices should still function, though mobile coverage in the Hovland area can be limited.

The Sheriff’s Office said that if residents need to report an emergency and are unable to make a call, they should drive to the Hovland Fire Hall. A member of the Hovland Fire Department will be stationed there and can relay reports to the Sheriff’s Office via radio.

The Sheriff’s Office also said residents with phone numbers in the 388 exchange are affected by the outage.

There is no estimate for when service will be restored, said Cook County Sheriff Ben Hallberg.

Residents along the Gunflint Trail have also reported receiving letters from CenturyLink stating that customers “may be experiencing an interruption” to their phone service.

“Because other reliable service providers are available in your area, we would like to assist with a smooth transition to a new provider or another technology with CenturyLink,” the letter, obtained by WTIP, states.

The letter asks customers for permission to close their accounts in exchange for a $500 prepaid Mastercard. It also states that CenturyLink will not make any changes until it receives a response from the customer.

WTIP contacted Lumen Technologies, CenturyLink’s parent company, for comment. The company did not respond before publication.

Josh Hinke July 14, 2026