A portion of Georgetown woke up Monday morning without internet service due to Optimum fiber-optic cables being cut overnight.
Optimum's outage map showed about 11,700 customers without service in Georgetown, with 1,030 more in the Jarrell area and 115 in Florence Monday morning.
According to Optimum, in the early morning July 13, the company’s fiber-optic network near I-35 and Northwest Boulevard was targeted by criminals, causing the internet to go out for Optimum customers in certain parts of Georgetown.
It is assumed that the fiber-optic cables were targeted by copper thieves, although Communications Manager Kirstin Carroll said in a press release Optimum’s network does not contain copper and it is an “intricate” process to restore the fiber.
“Optimum’s team is currently working on repairs. A police report has been filed,” Ms. Carroll said. “Every strand must be spliced inside an enclosure that protects it. That means dozens of precise connections that are about the size of a strand of human hair. Additionally, fiber optic cables are worthless once cut. ”
Optimum encourages residents to remain vigilant, report anything suspicious and watch out for exposed wires and unstable equipment.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers who are experiencing an internet service disruption. Our teams responded immediately and are currently working to restore service,” the company said in a statement. They did not provide an estimated time that service would be restored.
Optimum also shared some tips for residents to help the community watch for additional criminal activity:
- If there is someone who can’t provide official credentials or seems or seems out of place, residents should call local authorities
- Residents should be alert for unmarked vehicles or individuals working near infrastructure without the correct identification
- Suspicious activity can also be reported directly to Optimum’s Customer Support