Spectrum Representatives Address Casper Council on Recent Townwide Internet Outage

A recent City of Casper council work session brought critical discussions about a town-wide internet outage that affected residents just weeks prior. Representatives from Spectrum addressed the council, providing insights into the outage's cause and the measures taken to prevent future disruptions.

Mike Morris, a government affairs representative for Spectrum, explained that the outage resulted from a fiber cut to the main hub that feeds the entire town. He reassured the council that a redundant line had been installed and activated last month, ensuring that if a similar incident occurs, service would seamlessly switch to this backup line.

Council members raised questions about the outage's impact on cell phone services, particularly for Verizon customers. Morris clarified that while Spectrum provides internet services, it also wholesales Verizon's products, meaning that disruptions in internet service could affect cell phone functionality as well. This connection was highlighted by a council member who noted that both internet and cell service were lost during the outage.

The council's inquiry into the outage also touched on the lack of prior knowledge about the fiber line's location, which led to the disruption. Morris acknowledged the confusion but emphasized that the incident was unrelated to Spectrum's redundancy efforts.

As the council continues to seek clarity on these issues, the installation of the redundant line marks a significant step toward improving service reliability for Casper residents. The discussions underscore the importance of communication between service providers and local government, especially in addressing community concerns about connectivity.