NCTA-The Internet & Television Association has released “After the Storm,” an eight-minute on-the-ground documentary about cable operators’ contributions in the wake of emergencies and disasters.
The presentation provides many quick shots of repair and emergency crews working to restore service. The NCTA documentary shows that the work of repairing broadband networks in the wake of a disaster is hard and potentially dangerous, and that cable operators are one of several entities who must rely upon each other.
The experiences of several crews are highlighted:
“[There are] a lot of hazards,” said Brian Frederick, a Spectrum maintenance manager, in the documentary. “As you can see behind me, there are a whole bunch of down lines. We’ve got to validate if they’re energized or not. So safety’s the biggest priority.”
Hurricanes, floods and similar disasters leave big messes. Restoring services can take time. “Our main goal was to get all the vital areas back online. We have multiple people working around the clock,” said Ray Blevins, a fiber technician for Spectrum.
Cooperation between utilities and other organizations is another key component, according to the NCTA documentary. “We had to collaborate a lot with the Department of Transportation, other utilities and so forth to really begin rebuilding the community and the whole infrastructure,” said Patti Braskie Michel, a Spectrum director of communications, in the video.
It can also be frustrating. The crews know that people are anxious and waiting. “It’s extremely time consuming between having to figure out exactly what’s wrong and what needs to be repaired,” said Brady Robinson, a construction line technician for Spectrum.
The NCTA “After the Storm” documentary provides video highlights of real-life recovery efforts from cable broadband technicians, shows the potentially dangerous connection between broadband networks and power lines, and presents data highlighting the increasing frequency of billion-dollar natural disasters.
This is not the first time NCTA has highlighted its workers. In June 2024, NCTA released a 20-minute documentary video focusing on rural broadband deployment challenges entitled “Every Last Mile.” It followed work crews in Alaska, Arizona, and Minnesota as they dealt with temperature extremes, bedrock, undocumented buried infrastructure, and more.
