Optimum Internet Down Across West Virginia After Third-Party Cut
Optimum internet service went down for customers across West Virginia on Nov. 11, according to local station WTAP, which reported disruptions in many areas of the state, including the Mid-Ohio Valley around Parkersburg. Optimum’s own live outage tracker showed the problem being reported from around 5:30 p.m.
Optimum has not given a time for when service will return. Small, select areas of Belpre and Marietta, Ohio, are also affected, according to the company’s outage map.
What Optimum has said about the cause
An Optimum spokesperson issued a statement shortly after the outage was reported. The company said some customers in West Virginia are experiencing a disruption because a third party cut its infrastructure. Optimum said it is working with that third-party provider, whose crews are making the repairs.
The company said its priority is to resolve the matter as quickly and safely as possible, and it apologized for the inconvenience. Optimum also said it would provide updates as more information becomes available. Beyond the third-party cut, no further detail on the cause was disclosed.
Where service is affected
WTAP described the disruption as reaching many areas of West Virginia, with the Mid-Ohio Valley, where the station is based, among them. The Ohio side of the border has fewer problems on the company’s map: only small, select areas of Belpre and Marietta show internet disruption.
What a third-party cut means
Infrastructure here means the physical network that carries internet service to homes and businesses. In this case the damage was done by another party, not by Optimum, and that party’s crews are responsible for the repair work. Optimum said it remains in contact with the provider while the work goes on.
What this means for customers
Customers in the affected areas may find that home internet is not working until the third-party provider finishes its repairs. Optimum has not set a restoration time, and it has not said that service has been restored. The company said crews are working on repairs as quickly as possible.
Optimum’s live outage tracker and outage map show which areas are affected, and the company said it will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Source: WTAP