Internet on the island

By Cyndi Sellers

Cameron Communications announced Thursday, Dec. 10, that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had granted a permit for the Intracoastal Waterway and its contractor had pulled a fiberoptic cable to Big Lake, making internet connection possible for the first time since Laura. Unfortunately, damage caused by the removal of debris and replacement of utility poles has necessitated the replacement of 500 feet of fiber, but the goal is to have all customers connected this week.

The first step, said Kevin Caldwell, is to turn the network on and see what works, then repair any additional problems. The company is making that area a priority, since they have been without service so long. They have received 40,000 calls since the end of August, he said, 600 calls a day compared to about 70 per day before the storm.

Anyone who has been receiving bills but had no service during that time should be getting a credit, Caldwell said. Customers should call customer service to report the error.