Fiber Networks exist in our physical world, and sometimes that world is unpredictable. Accidents happen, mother nature has her own plans, and those factors can cause major headaches for network users and network operators alike.
Recently a tree on Flat Rock Road fell and broke through the electrical and fiber optic cables on the poles. When this happens, a chain of events immediately kicks off to get customers back online as quickly as possible.
The first link in the chain is always the electrical company. Exposed power lines pose a very serious risk to residents and workers alike, so their cables always take priority. In this case, National Grid was dispatched to the scene to repair their cable. Depending on the severity of the break and the affect to the surrounding area, their repairs can take several hours and often run long into the night.
Once the electrical company has verified it is safe to operate in the area, they'll pass the "all clear" down the line to any communications companies that are also on the affected utility poles. When National Grid passed along the message, Matrix Connected Fiber mobilized a team immediately and began our repairs. Depending on the type of break, fiber optic technicians may need to replace an entire section of cable, which can add time to the repair. Our number one goal is to get customers back online as quickly as possible, but we also want to make sure that our repairs will be effective and long lasting. A hastily repaired cable can break again, and over time these issues can stack up and cause unwanted network degradation. To avoid this, technicians will create a full assessment of the damage and coordinate the best way to repair it with network engineers to ensure there is no loss of network integrity.
Once repairs are completed, a short series of tests are run to ensure that our quality standards are met, and then customers are brought back online. Any issues that customers may continue to face are handled on an individual basis, but in general once the cable is repaired most customers come right back online without a hitch.
We understand these repairs can be frustrating- after all, everyone on the Matrix team has internet at home too, and we're affected by the same types of incidents. Hopefully sharing some of the details of the process will help you understand what it takes to keep a network active and operating smoothly. Bringing our customers online is what drives us forward, and we're glad to have you here with us.
Thank you,
The Matrix Connected Fiber team