Small business owners in the Redding area are counting their losses after an internet outage cost them up to a full day of business on Tuesday, June 25.
Vandals caused the outage when they cut lines in Redding early Tuesday morning, knocking out service to Spectrum-Charter Communications customers, according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Spectrum crews from across Northern California came to work throughout the day to repair and reconnect more than 650 fibers, restoring Internet to the last customers by late Tuesday afternoon, said Spectrum’s Senior Director of West and Northwest Communications, Dennis Johnson.
By then, some Redding business owners had turned customers away because they couldn’t get credit and debit cards or use online accounts.
Some business owners reported losing connection only briefly on Tuesday.
Spectrum’s phone and Internet service were down by 9:30 a.m., said Rolan Dillion, owner of the Flag Center on Hilltop Drive south.
He’s not sure if he missed any phone orders in the first 30 minutes his store was open Tuesday morning, Dillion said, but “I had the old-school receipt pad out” to take orders from present customers.
Other Redding business owners reported losing most of the day’s revenue.
Spectrum customer Cris Hillman, owner of Janine’s Jewelry on Yuba Street, turned away several credit and debit card customers because she couldn’t process card payments. She also couldn’t order from distributors until service was restored around 3 p.m., she said.
For other businesses and their customers, the outage was more of a time inconvenience than a financial loss.
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Staff at some medical offices reported that they were unable to access patient records online, or had to ask patients who paid their medical bills with plastic to call later in the week.
These problems were not limited to Spectrum customers.
While their Eureka Way office uses a different Internet provider, family physician employees Jack and Sheila Finch were unable to access Spectrum patient records Tuesday, office staff member Shannon Carter said.
Businesses that had backup Internet services fared better or were unaffected.
“We had backup wi-fi, so (the outage) didn’t affect us at all,” said Cameron Hull, assistant manager at downtown Redding clothing store Apricot Lane Boutique on Market Street.
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When asked if Spectrum is offering business owners discounts for lost service, Johnson said the provider is “working directly with customers who were affected by the vandalism that caused the outage.”
The Spectrum Business Services customer line is 800-314-7195. Ask for billing, an operator said.
The outage follows Spectrum’s announcement that it will raise monthly Internet service costs by $3 this summer. “While our services have been affected by rising costs, we strive to keep prices as low as possible,” Johnson said.
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As of Friday, there are no suspects in custody in connection with the downed cables that caused the outage, according to Shasta County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Tim Mapes.
Investigators are reviewing evidence found at the site of the downed cables at Highway 273 and Canyon Road, Mapes said.
When asked about Spectrum’s plan to protect cables from vandals in the future, Johnson said, “We don’t comment on the security of our network.”
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. It covers science, art, social issues and news. Follow him on Twitter@RS_JSkropanic and so onFacebook. Join Jessica at Get out! Neither did Cal recreation group on Facebook. To support and support this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.
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