TMCnet News
TDS update: Impact of Hurricane Sandy(ENP Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ENP Newswire - 31 October 2012 Release date- 30102012 - Update #2 for Super Storm Sandy - 3:34 p.m. CST: Isolated areas in New Castle, Virginia are experiencing problems due to wide spread commercial power outages; TDS has sites on backup generators and majority of landlines are operational at these sites. Service was restored in North Carolina; original outage caused by utility pole failure and forest fire from high winds. At 1:42 p.m. CST today the Northeast region began experiencing an IP data outage related to problems with network connections in New York City; this outage is impacting customers in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. TDS is working with multiple carriers and vendors to isolate this problem. No ETA. Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy Update 1 - Oct. 30 11:00 a.m. CST: In general the TDS Telecom service areas in New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and South Carolina have all fared well through Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy. All local technicians and their families have reported in safe. In some areas we have reported minor damage to lines and some power issues; however, we've been able to make repairs and maintain services using generators as backup power source. Customers in New Castle, Virginia and Perkinsville/Ludlow, Vermont have been the most impacted. A tree shredded a fiber line in Perkinsville/Ludlow isolating the area; lines were restored by 8:15 a.m. EST today. For a brief time 911 calls were rerouted from Perkinsville to Ludlow dispatch centers and cell service was also out. TDS services are restored in this area. Damage to individual homes or drops to homes may still require attention and customers should call in to report those issues. In New Castle commercial power is out and several sites require back-up generators to power landlines; storm conditions are preventing access in some locations. TDS is aware of the outages in New Castle and working to restore backup power to restore basic phone services. A situation in North Carolina currently has a group of customers (approx. 55) out of service due to a wind damaged utility pole that dropped in a forested area resulting in a forest fire. Our TDS technicians cannot get to the site due to the fire and therefore the site is out of service. In all other TDS service areas, if you have a phone/internet outage report your trouble at 1-888-CALL TDS (225-5837) or online. In the meantime, please stay safe and remember not to touch downed power or phone lines! We do ask customers to help us monitor TDS generators for theft - if you see anyone other than a TDS person near a generator site please contact local authorities. (It is a felony to remove telecom generators since they are providing 911 services.) TDS will continue to monitor our sites throughout the day and provide a second storm update around 4:00 p.m. CST today. For more information, contact: DeAnne Boegli, National Public Relations Manager, TDS / [email protected] / 608-664-4428 [Editorial queries for this story should be sent to [email protected]] ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2012 Electronic News Publishing - |