Internet Frustration: Hanover Woman Struggles with Ongoing Outages

Rising Frustrations Over Unreliable Internet in Hanover County

Residents in west Hanover County are increasingly frustrated with the unreliable internet service they have faced for years. The issue has become a significant disruption, especially for those who rely on stable connectivity for work and daily life. Brianne Jackson, a college dean, shared her experience of 20 internet outages this summer alone. As a professional, she finds it challenging to work from home without consistent service.

Jackson explained that the recent outage was so severe that she had to stay in a hotel for the week to ensure she could maintain her work responsibilities. “I just decided to get a hotel for the week,” she said. “That’s the only way I can guarantee I have cellular signal, that I’m able to do my work, check emails… basically function.”

The problem extends beyond just internet outages. Residents also face spotty cell service, making Wi-Fi their primary connection. Without reliable access, they struggle to reach loved ones or even call emergency services like 911. “I just feel like we’re completely ignored,” Jackson said.

Hanover County addressed the latest outage through a Facebook post, stating that Brightspeed, the internet service provider involved, is under contract with the state, not the county. This means the county does not have authority over Brightspeed’s operations or service. The county confirmed that the outage was resolved by Wednesday afternoon, but some residents believe the underlying issues remain unaddressed.

Brightspeed’s Response to the Outage

8News reached out to Brightspeed to understand what caused the most recent disruption. A company spokesperson provided a statement explaining that multiple cable cuts impacted service in Hanover County. Third-party crews working in the area damaged the infrastructure twice during the week. When such incidents occur, Brightspeed immediately sends repair technicians to restore services as quickly as possible.

In its statement, Brightspeed noted that it alerted county officials about the service interruptions and provided updates as repairs were underway. The company added that crews repaired the damage and restored services within a few hours. Additionally, when customers experience prolonged outages, Brightspeed offers credits to their bills. At the time of the statement, there were no widespread outages in the area, and the company was addressing repeated damage reports with the responsible crews.

Despite these efforts, Jackson sees repeated mistakes as a sign of deeper problems and a lack of accountability. “Accidentally cutting a line is not acceptable,” she said. “In almost any other line of work, if the same error keeps happening over and over again, someone from management would step in and say, ‘Hey, maybe we need to rethink this.’”

Efforts to Improve Connectivity

Deputy County Administrator Todd Kilduff mentioned that the county is actively working to mitigate future outages through the 'Connect Hanover' Broadband Initiative. Once completed, this project aims to connect 6,198 homes and businesses in rural areas of the county to reliable high-speed fiber.

According to Kilduff, nearly 200 miles of new fiber have already been installed, and almost 100 homes have been connected. The initiative is expected to be completed by the fall of 2026, offering long-term solutions for the community's connectivity needs.

As the county moves forward with these improvements, residents continue to hope for more consistent and reliable internet service. For now, they remain hopeful that the ongoing efforts will bring lasting change to their daily lives.