South Carolina Residents Face Continued Internet Outages Post-Tropical Storm Helene

The residents of South Carolina continue to grapple with internet outages following the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, which struck the region in late September. Spectrum, the region’s predominant internet service provider, has been working to remedy significant outages across several areas, including Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson.

According to istheserverdown.com, a third-party monitoring site, these cities in South Carolina’s Upstate are among the hardest hit by the disruptions. The outages stem from extensive physical damage to the network infrastructure caused by the storm, as stated by Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company.

Scott Pryzwansky, the Senior Director of Communications for Charter Communications’ Mid-South region, noted, “We have over 3,000 field leaders, technicians, and engineers actively working around the clock to access and repair any damage to our network due to Helene and its aftermath.” He further explained that the majority of outages are primarily due to ongoing power disruptions.

Even as power restoration progresses, Pryzwansky pointed out that internet service restoration is contingent on power availability not just to homes, but also to the nearby network hubs necessary for service propagation. As of October 7, power company Duke Energy reported that 90% of its customers in South Carolina had power restored, with other local utilities making significant strides as well.

Despite these efforts, customers have expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication regarding service restoration timelines. Maya Peyton, reporting for WYFF News 4, relayed resident concerns, explaining that many have not received adequate updates regarding when services will return to normal, prompting some to consider switching providers altogether.

Spectrum reassured customers that they are making every effort to communicate about progress and expected service restoration. “We are communicating with impacted customers about the service interruption and our restoration process underway,” added Pryzwansky.

Additionally, Spectrum announced that they would provide automatic refunds to customers experiencing outages of more than two hours, reflecting a day’s worth of service. Nevertheless, the absence of a reliable restoration timeline continues to vex affected residents.

To address connectivity issues amidst the restoration, Spectrum has opened over 100 access points in the Greenville area. These access points are available to all users across both Carolinas until further notice.

As restoration efforts continue, affected customers are encouraged to stay informed through updates provided by Spectrum via email or text, and by checking the company’s website dedicated to service restoration updates in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.