Companies Scramble to Restore Florida Phone, Cable Service
Posted on: Tuesday, 28 September 2004, 06:00 CDT
Sep. 28--Telephone and cable companies worked Monday to restore service to affected customers, largely in the Palm Beach-Indian River area.
Regional phone carrier BellSouth Corp. said a preliminary estimate showed 657,000 lines affected by Jeanne, with 132,000 restored by Monday.
That tally includes 208,000 BellSouth lines out of service in Palm Beach, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin Counties, representing about 19 percent of lines in that area.
In Broward County, 1,000 lines were out of service Monday, or about 0.1 percent of lines in Broward, BellSouth said.
Sprint said it's working to restore lines affected by Jeanne and earlier storms, with 161,700 local access lines without service across the state. It also is working with emergency management officials to identify sites to install phone banks so customers can make free calls.
Cingular Wireless said about 10 percent of customers across the state lack service, with more than 70 generators now operating at affected cell sites. It is focusing now on repairs in the areas hardest hit by Jeanne including West Palm Beach.
Some companies without electricity and phone services have been tuning to commercial call centers as their temporary back offices.
Margate-based call center company Global Response Corp. said it has even made its computers available for some employees of client companies without power and phones.
"Our investment in making this a solid concrete building ready to withstand anything has paid off," says Global Response Chief Executive Herman Shooster.
Meanwhile, cable companies hustled to restore service.
Adelphia Communications Corp. said about 500,000 of its 700,000 cable clients in Florida are without service, with many in West Palm Beach; the Boca Raton-Delray Beach area; Palm Beach Gardens and Stuart. Some interruptionsare blamed on power outages, the company said.
Comcast Cable said less than 10 percent of its Broward customers had service interruptions because of Jeanne many are electricity related.
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