<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4aGgxx_0vpWCAdl00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4aGgxx_0vpWCAdl00" width="1280" height="960" ><figcaption>A temporary Verizon cellular satellite trailer is located at the Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin St. This trailer allows for limited cellular reception within several city blocks.&nbsp;// Watchdog photo by Andrew R. Jones</figcaption></figure>Nearly 70 percent of western North Carolina’s cell phone towers and equipment are out of service, leaving hundreds of thousands with limited or no cell phone signal, according to federal communications data.Almost all of the towers withstood the damaging winds from Hurricane Helene, but fiber optic lines severed primarily by fallen trees caused a widespread, catastrophic blackout. An untold number of people in need of help have been unable to reach 911 while others with limited access have flooded emergency lines. On Monday, the county received 616 calls to 911 before noon.Since Sept. 26, the day the storm hit, emergency operators have fielded 9,738 calls to 911, according to Buncombe County records. But thousands are still in the dark because of severed fiber optic lines essential to providing a signal.While a timeline for repairs remains unclear, cellular and internet companies have begun wheeling in mobile sites throughout the county, places where residents can get a signal if they stand nearby.According to Federal Communications Commission documents, 359, or 79 percent, of Buncombe’s cell sites containing electronic communications equipment such as a tower, were down as of Sept. 29, crippling cell phone communications in the region.Other counties, including Henderson, Transylvania, Haywood, Madison, Yancey, McDowell, and Rutherford, had non-functioning cell sites ranging from 41 percent to 88 percent.In that eight-county region, a total of 625, or nearly 70 percent, of the cell sites were out, according to an Asheville Watchdog analysis of the data.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0uIM3P_0vpWCAdl00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0uIM3P_0vpWCAdl00" width="756" height="232" ><figcaption>Data from the Federal Communicaions Commission shows the number of towers and cell equipment that are out in a seven-county region hit by Hurricane Helene. // Watchdog graphic by Andrew R. Jones, based on FCC data</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3M9giw_0vpWCAdl00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3M9giw_0vpWCAdl00" width="987" height="604" ><figcaption>According to the FCC documents, most of the cell sites are down “due to transport,” meaning the signal from the towers can’t make it to a switching center via fiber. // Watchdog graphic by Andrew R. Jones, based on FEC data</figcaption></figure>According to the FCC documents, most of the cell sites are down “due to transport,” meaning the signal from the towers can’t make it to a switching center via fiber. Thousands of people across western North Carolina have been cut off from communications, unable to connect with friends and family.Buncombe Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said at a Monday morning press briefing that 11,000 requests have come through his office for assistance in locating people who had not been reached. That office at 205 College Street in Asheville is providing internet and information services for the public.“With cell phone coverage being spotty at best, most people just can’t get in touch with their family,” Reisinger said.Mobile cell sites erected in BuncombeAs of noon Monday, cell phone providers had set up mobile cell sites in the county:<ul><li>A temporary Verizon cellular satellite trailer is located at the Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin St. This trailer allows for limited cellular reception within several city blocks. </li></ul><ul><li>T-mobile set up satellite cellular on light trucks in Asheville. These SatCOLTs provide cellular voice and data, along with Wi-Fi and charging stations. Trucks are located at Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave, and Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. </li></ul>Verizon plans to deploy a cell-enabled tethered drone that provides cell service from the air to cell phone users on the ground, according to a Monday release. More mobile sites are on the way.‘Slow but steady progress’Wireless providers Verizon, AT&amp;T, T-Mobile and USCellular did not respond to questions from The Watchdog about repair efforts and what could have been done to prevent damage to the lines but spoke generally about the outages and restoration efforts.“We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers,” said Verizon spokesperson Ilya Hemlin Monday. “Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”Verizon is publishing a detailed account of repair efforts in a live news release.“We are seeing slow but steady progress, with additional cell sites back on air,” the company said in its Sept. 29 update. “Thanks to a close working relationship with the state Department of Transportation, governor’s office and local emergency response leaders, and with the opening of I-26 earlier today, we have been able to move temporary assets into the Asheville area … We continue to work with our backhaul vendors on fiber restoration.”An AT&amp;T spokesperson said the company was “fully committed to aiding the response and recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.“While the recovery process will be lengthy in some areas, we are prioritizing areas we can access immediately to restore connectivity as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. “However, severely damaged areas will require additional time for repairs.”T-Mobile directed The Watchdog to its live news release that said its crews were working in “extremely challenging conditions and limited site access to restore 132 sites and position 149 portable generators in the last 24 hours and their work will continue today.” A USCellular spokesperson said service was down “due to a number of factors including power outages, downed trees and impassable roads preventing crews from reaching towers.”Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.</div></body>

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Buncombe’s blackout: Severed fiber lines made it impossible to call, text or use data on phones

Nearly 70 percent of western North Carolina’s cell phone towers and equipment are out of service, leaving hundreds of thousands with limited or no cell phone signal, according to federal communications data. Almost all of the towers withstood the damaging winds from Hurricane Helene, but fiber optic lines severed...

Buncombe’s blackout: Severed fiber lines made it impossible to call, text or use data on phones

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