As we turn calendars over to June, many of us are looking forward to a return to some form of normalcy as we work to rebuild and recover from the public health crisis. Californians are clever, resilient and optimistic people and we will find joy in the summer season no matter what happens.
While this summer will probably feel very different, one thing that will, unfortunately, remain consistent is the threat of wildfires. June 1 is the official start of fire season and at Comcast we are working tirelessly to ensure we continue to serve our customers.
Concurrent with fire season, in many parts of California, we anticipate planned power outages – called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) – during this time, which runs from June through November. When gusty winds and dry conditions are forecasted, combined with a heightened fire risk, electricity providers pre-emptively turn off the power to protect the public.
Comcast’s Internet, TV and landline telephone services for homes and businesses require commercial power to operate. During a PSPS event, these Comcast services may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off. Mobile phone service may also be affected by a PSPS event.
Comcast understands this disruption to services is frustrating and has a major impact on people’s lives and businesses. The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority and Comcast takes care during PSPS events to ensure public safety.
Comcast also takes care during PSPS events to ensure we’re keeping our customers informed. We recently sent a letter and an email to our customers with important information about how to keep informed during wildfire season.
You may also see public service announcements on your local news channel reminding you how these power outages may affect your services.
Here are a few things you can do now to be prepared:
- Confirm your contact information at com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Account to check if your service has been restored.
- Comcast Business customers can check their My Account app or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
- Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
- Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
- Visit the Comcast California Blog where we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions. On the blog, we’ve just launched a special PSPS web page where you can get additional information.
- Follow us on Twitter — our handle is @ComcastCA and we regularly post valuable updates.
Even if power is off, Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe.