Business & Tech

AT&T Crews Install Generators on Cable Boxes and Cell Towers

Power outages are making it more difficult.

Gregg Gillette, of AT&T, drove all the way from Fort Lauderdale, FL to the company's deployment headquarters in Enfield to work on restoring phone service, cable and internet to customers after the freak October snowstorm.

Crews are coming from all over, including Kentucky and Louisiana.

When he arrived Wednesday, he saw something he had never seen before – snow.

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On top of that, the fallen trees and power outages are obstacle's in AT&T's response to the phone lines and cable systems. He said he has not seen one power truck in the few days he has been in Connecticut.

"With all the trees down, I can't get to some of the sites," Gillette said.

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In the cold on Friday, he waited on Winding Lane Road in Avon for more fuel to be delivered for a generator he connected to an AT&T U-verse box, called a U-rad cabinet. Residents with generators of their own can access cable when AT&T has a generator powering the system.The equipment serves 200 households in the area.

"We're waiting for the power to come back on so we can remove the generators," Gillette said.

Other crews have been running generators to cell phone towers.

"It is a high priority, getting those up," Gillette said.

The assignments vary by day. Gillette's last assignment was in Meriden.

In terms of regular phone service, Gillette said that customers who have a phone with a cord are more likely to have a working phone line during the power outage than cordless phones that need electricity to charge.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy toured the Winding Lane Road and Stony Corners area while Gillette was working and talking to a CNN reporter who used to be a local newscaster in Florida.

Gillette said hello to the woman, who he recognized from his local news back home.

But it might be a long time before he returns home. Gillette said he was told he would be in Connecticut for two weeks.


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