Charter Communications customers in Malibu and nearby communities affected
Malibu, Calif. ñ October 21, 2007ñ Charter Communications customers in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, and unincorporated areas around Topanga and Woodland Hills, as well as a small adjacent portion of the City of Los Angeles have lost most of their cable television service due to the devastating fires that have burned in the area today. Charter customers who receive telephone and High Speed internet service from the company have seen those services cut off as well.
According to company spokesman Craig Watson, ìThe fires have burned through a major fiber optic line providing our service to over 90 percent of our Malibu area customers. We are closely monitoring the situation, but we must take our direction from the emergency fire command as they fight this fire and await the clearance to return to the area to assess the damage to our network.î
Charter estimates that 9,500 of its customers are without service and approximately 1,500 have limited service. Taking into account employee and public safety, Charter technicians are staying out of the evacuated areas, but are prepared to return the moment they are given clearance.
ìWe have trucks, fiber splicing crews and the replacement fiber optic cable near and on standby, waiting for the signal. We know that our customers need these services restored and our goal will be to get them back up as soon as humanly possible,î Watson said.