Keeping customers, employees, and equipment safe from seasonal risks
Roseville, Calif. – June 7, 2019 – Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL), a leading broadband and business communications provider, is taking action to prepare for Northern California’s increasingly unpredictable summer season.
Consolidated Communications, Inc. maintains an extensive network of fiber-optic and copper cables that provide broadband services to homes and businesses in greater Sacramento. These cables carry little to no electrical charge, thus little risk of causing a fire. However, they can be damaged by extreme heat and fire, causing interruptions to local broadband and telephone service.
Protecting the Company’s fiber network from extreme heat and fire is a top priority, especially as California’s fire season grows longer and fires are more destructive.
Consolidated technicians have been dispatched throughout the region to trim weeds and brush away from all equipment sites. Fiber lines are being checked for potential risks, especially in rural areas where equipment may be susceptible to brushfires. All Consolidated technicians are on the alert, reporting any possible hazards to management for swift remedy. In addition, technicians are trimming brush back from all vehicle parking areas to avoid possible combustion from exhaust systems.
“Customers rely on us every day, especially during the most severe weather,” said Gabe Waggoner, executive vice president of operations at Consolidated Communications. “Our ongoing investments to continually increase our network reliability coupled with our emergency preparedness plans ensure we are ready for a weather event and can restore impacted services as quickly as possible.”
In addition to seasonal maintenance on equipment, Consolidated trains all employees on staying safe in extreme conditions. All field technicians carry extra water in company vehicles, and are instructed to use their onboard air conditioning to prevent heat stroke and dehydration.
The Company would like to remind customers to stay safe at home by calling 811 or visiting usanorth811.org before digging on their property. At no cost to the resident, a utility worker will mark where gas lines, power, phone and fiber cables are located. This simple precaution can protect customers from injury, damage, financial liability and service interruptions.
About Consolidated Communications
Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) is a leading broadband and business communications provider serving consumers, businesses, and wireless and wireline carriers across rural and metro communities and a 23-state service area. Leveraging an advanced fiber network spanning 37,000 fiber route miles, Consolidated Communications offers a wide range of communications solutions, including: high-speed internet, data, phone, security, managed services, cloud services and wholesale, carrier solutions. From our first connection 125 years ago, Consolidated is dedicated to turning technology into solutions, connecting people and enriching how they work and live. Visit www.consolidated.com for more information.