At least they can shower and use AC

September 16, 2008 1:38 PM

Anyone know where I can find a restoration status map for Comcast after Ike?

I'm looking for any info from Comcast and/or AT&T about when they expect internet access to be restored, and in what order, in the Houston area. I have a bunch of employees with laptops and power but no access to their work, which is stored on a server in Dallas. I'm wondering whether to just bring them up here to our Austin offices.

I've looked but apparently I'm not parsing the search well, can someone help?

posted by pomegranate to computers & internet (6 comments total)

No. Telecoms tend not to publish this kind of information, as they've really got no incentive to provide it. They may have those kinds of maps internally, but they aren't going to let you see them.

In all fairness though, they may not in fact have the information you want. They've got as many people as they can working as fast as they can, and communication is just as tenuous for them as it is for everyone else in catastrophic infrastructure breakdowns of this sort.
posted by valkyryn at 2:28 PM on September 16, 2008

I'm in a similar situation - my power's been restored, but no Comcast-related services (internet, tv). My T-mobile service has also been very unreliable....I can send/receive about 80% of my text messages, but I can't make or receive outgoing calls.

I finally got through to Comcast this morning (borrowed my sister's Verizon phone) to ask if they had any info about the reconnection schedule. They said they don't have a schedule, but that they're working as fast as they can. Apparently, when your area is ready to be restored, you'll hear an automated message when you call into Comcast.

What makes it especially difficult is that it seems the connections can go block by block. For example, my complex in the Medical Center has power but no Comcast.....strangely, my neighbors who use AT&T for internet said it's still working and never went down. The complex next to me, on the SAME block, never lost power or Comcast at all during Ike. The complex down the block has working Comcast too. So basically, it's all pretty random.

My boss says FEMA's appropriated the AT&T lines in Houston, which explains the problems with that service. She's kind of a conspiracy nut, though.
posted by yeoja at 2:54 PM on September 16, 2008

DSL Reports tends to be fairly high traffic w/ a few insiders, even on cable.
posted by smackfu at 4:34 PM on September 16, 2008

I work for a telco. IMHO they are going to try and concentrate their resources in the areas where they can restore the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.

I also doubt they will publish a map or schedule or make any kind of promises, to avoid being criticized or sued if they run into problems and can't meet people's expectations.
posted by 14580 at 12:06 AM on September 17, 2008

We finally have power. I called Comcast and they said that all technicians were out and working. They asked if I had power. duh. They said if I didn't have service by Friday to call back. Our Cable and Internet came back about 4 hours later.

I know that we are REALLY lucky. A lot of our area is still without power and our zip code is one that is to be without until after Monday!
posted by nimsey lou at 8:17 AM on September 18, 2008

I also doubt they will publish a map or schedule or make any kind of promises, to avoid being criticized or sued if they run into problems and can't meet people's expectations.

Yet Center Point, our electric provider, is giving us a map and a projected (not promised) schedule. Maybe it's because they still consider themselves a "public utility," not just another business. :-/

We're lucky to be located fairly close to a high-power line -- never thought I'd ever write those words -- as well as some medical facilities, so we got power back Tuesday evening. I'm almost thinking about switching back to AT&T, though, since at least I'd have a conventional landline for situations like this and could fall back on dial-up.
posted by Robert Angelo at 2:25 PM on September 18, 2008