Council addresses construction incident impacting Spectrum and Verizon services

During the City Council Pre-Meeting on May 6, 2025, in Casper, significant discussions emerged regarding a recent incident involving an unmarked underground fiber line that was accidentally damaged during construction. The line, owned by Spectrum Charter, was not identified in the pre-construction utility locate process, leading to service disruptions for residents in the area.

City officials explained that their contractors had followed protocol by submitting a ticket to notify utility providers of the planned work. However, the unmarked fiber line was not detected, resulting in a service outage. The contractors promptly halted their work upon realizing the damage, contacted Spectrum Charter, and assisted in restoring service until the provider arrived on-site.

Council members expressed concerns about the implications of this incident, particularly regarding the reliability of emergency services. Residents in areas like Paradise Valley reported losing both Spectrum and Verizon services, raising questions about the functionality of 911 services during outages. While officials acknowledged the concerns, they noted that the specifics of Verizon's network redundancy and emergency protocols were unclear and suggested that residents seek direct answers from the provider.

The discussion highlighted the interconnectedness of utility services and the potential vulnerabilities that can arise from a single point of failure in communication infrastructure. Council members appreciated the presence of utility representatives at the meeting, emphasizing the importance of transparency and communication between service providers and the community.

As the city moves forward, the council plans to address these concerns and explore ways to improve utility coordination and emergency preparedness to prevent similar incidents in the future. The meeting underscored the critical nature of reliable communication services and the need for ongoing dialogue between city officials and utility providers to ensure community safety and connectivity.