Experiencing internet service issues while working from home? You’re not alone

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With much of the country stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, internet service has become a necessity. So, what happens when it crashes?

Those working from home and students taking classes rely on the internet.

Judging by posts and comments on social media, and even tips WWAY has received in our newsroom, several people have experienced connectivity issues, whether their service goes out completely or is greatly slowed.

One UNCW student says she was working on a group project due Friday when her internet went down.

“I didn’t know if the internet was going to come back or whatnot, so I told them, ‘I don’t know what to do,'” student Mariana Bernardino says. “So I had to email all my teachers, I let them all know, worst case scenario. And then I also had to email my group and stuff. So we worked around it, but not really. Pretty much I couldn’t do my part.”

A spokesman for Spectrum Internet says they had an outage Wednesday after a third party damaged fiber. That has since been fixed.

As far as speed, the company says they’ve seen increased daytime activity, but levels remain well below capacity.

Here is the full statement from Spectrum:

”At Charter, our networks are built to exceed maximum capacity during peak evening usage. We are continuously monitoring our networks 24×7 and consulting regularly with other connectivity providers. Thus far, we have seen some increased daytime network activity — especially in areas with larger COVID-19 closures — but levels remain well below capacity and typical peak evening usage in most markets.”

We’ve also reached out to AT&T, which also provides internet service in the area. We have not yet heard back.