News
A North Carolina-based internet service provider has reported no damage following the impacts of Hurricane Francine.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
An internet service provider that operates along the Louisiana Gulf Coast region has reported no damage following the impacts of Hurricane Francine.
Conterra Networks, which manages all-fiber networks in communities like Opelousas, New Iberia, and Lake Charles, reported report customer interruptions, “aside from those resulting from local commercial power outages,” as a result of Francine.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, 30 miles to the south-southwest of Morgan City on Sept. 11.
Scott Dunham, the director of Conterra’s operations center, said he’s very proud of how Conterra’s team responded to the event.
“From securing critical infrastructure to preparing rapid response efforts, our team’s efforts resulted in zero disruptions and helped keep our communities safe,” he said. “It’s a testament to their commitment and resilience, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they came together during such events.”
Dunham elaborated on Conterra’s disaster preparedness strategy in Conterra’s Sept. 19 release.
He said before a major event, the ISP holds internal preparedness meetings to ensure “that all systems are ready.”
“When the natural disaster is in effect, we open a live (network operations center) bridge for our customers and monitor the network closely,” Dunham explained. “We also live where our customers live, and our local team remains on standby—ready to respond, provided there are no safety concerns.”
Another test on the way?
According to Conterra’s release, the company’s ability to withstand major weather events “is a direct result of its strategic investments in network reliability and disaster preparedness.”
As Conterra expresses solidarity with the people of Louisiana, forecasters are watching yet another potential tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Current predictions from the National Hurricane Center show the storm, which has not yet been named a tropical cyclone, impacting the Florida Gulf Coast later this week as a hurricane.
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