Beaufort County Faces Internet Outage, Service Restored After 10 Hours
On a seemingly ordinary Monday, residents and businesses in Beaufort County found themselves grappling with a sudden internet outage that enveloped the area for about 10 hours. The culprit? A series of fiber cuts that occurred in both Georgia and South Carolina, causing quite a stir for internet provider Sparklight, previously known as Hargray.
What Happened?
The outage, which began earlier in the day, was the result of four separate incidents involving damage to fiber lines. According to Jane Shanley, the senior director of southeast regional operations for Hargray, each of these unfortunate cuts was caused by different entities, including a wayward Bushwacker tractor and road construction contractors.
These fiber cuts happened in various locations, including spots near the Ogeechee River off U.S. Route 17, Midway, Georgia, Statesboro, Georgia, and along the South Carolina-Georgia border. “It was just sort of the perfect storm of everything hitting at really close timing-wise,” Shanley reported, summing up the unfortunate series of events.
Restoration Efforts
The teams worked relentlessly through the day and night to fix the issues. Repairing the damage wasn’t merely a case of plugging things back in; it involved extensive work, including locating the breaks, excavating the sites, splicing the cables, and finally, reburying them. After a day of hard work, one of the primary fiber lines was back up and running by 7:30 p.m. on Monday, and by 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, all lines had been successfully repaired.
In a proactive step, Sparklight reached out to the Departments of Transportation in both Georgia and South Carolina to report the damages and inform them of the repairs being made.
Impact on Customers
Sparklight has been a longstanding provider for the Beaufort County community, serving customers for over 30 years and providing internet access to more than a million people across 24 states. They acknowledged the inconvenience faced by their customers during the outage in a Facebook statement. Although the exact number of affected residential and business customers wasn’t disclosed, the company assured everyone that automatic credits would be issued on upcoming bills for the duration of the outage.
<
If customers continue to experience issues even after repairs, they have been encouraged to contact Hargray’s Technical Support Team at 877-HARGRAY for assistance. “We understand the frustration our customers experienced due to the recent disruption and sincerely apologize,” Shanley said, emphasizing the importance of reliable internet for staying connected to loved ones, education, and work. “While we strive to prevent disruptions, unexpected incidents can sometimes occur, and when this happens, we work hard to resolve those disruptions as quickly as possible.”
Looking Ahead
As the community moves forward from this unexpected disruption, the experience stands as a reminder of the potential vulnerabilities in our internet infrastructure and the importance of timely repairs. Residents, while likely relieved to have their service restored, may also be left wondering how to avoid something so disruptive in the future.
In the meantime, pride in staying connected remains high, and with the lessons learned from this outage, Beaufort County can focus on regaining its normal rhythm. As always, let’s stay connected!
