MIAMI – A massive Internet and cable outage affected thousands of South Floridians on New Year's Day -- one of the biggest days for football on television.
Minutes after the start of 2015, a car accident in the north end of Miami Beach severed a main fiber cable, cutting Internet and cable service to thousands of Atlantic Broadband customers in Miami Beach, Aventura and South Miami.
Hundreds of customers calling with reports or complaints connected to busy signals or a recording that preceded indefinite hold.
According to the company, its crews had to wait for Florida Power and Light technicians to do its restorative work before they could begin repairs.
By mid-morning, FPL had replaced the wooden pole that had been destroyed by the car crash. Atlantic Broadband's crews could be seen examining the end of an inch-thick cable that had been severed.
As of noon New Year's Day, Atlantic Broadband could provide only "early afternoon" as an estimated time of restoration. As of 10 p.m. Thursday, 100 percent of Miami Beach customers affected have had their service restored.
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