Hargray Communications’ core network remained online throughout Hurricane Matthew as it made its way up the East Coast and through the Lowcountry. In areas that have power, Hargray’s Internet, television and telephone services remained operational.

As of Tuesday morning, two-thirds of Hargray’s inland customers effected by the hurricane and half of its customers on Hilton Head and other islands now have services restored. This is due in large part to the strength and quality of Hargray’s network, as well as the company’s local workforce that was able to respond quickly to repair any damages.
“As a local company, we understand how difficult a time this can be, and how comforting it is to have your Internet, television and telephone services available,” Hargray Chairman and CEO Michael Gottdenker said. “I’m proud of the plan our team put together to be ready for this and how our team executed - all while taking care of their own homes and families. I’m proud of all of them, and this community. Overall, while there will be some equipment that needs to be replaced, our network performed exactly as we expected and continues to perform extremely well.”

Providing services through a natural disaster allowed customers to stay informed with the latest weather advisories and government warnings. Hargray’s more than 400 local employees worked around the clock throughout the storm, both in-market at the network operation center and remotely after evacuating their own families. Hargray worked with Palmetto Electric to ensure services were available to Beaufort County Emergency Management and other emergency service providers. Likewise, when a local hospital re-opened its Emergency Department on Sunday afternoon, their voice and data services were operational.

“Our outside plant teams began repairs early Monday morning,” said Gottdenker, who is spending Tuesday touring Hargray’s facilities. “Our goal is to complete necessary plant repairs before our customers return to the area so that their service will be operational upon their return. We also have commercial and residential technicians in the area who will respond to priority dispatch as needed until such time our full field force returns to the area. This is a time when having a local service provider makes such a difference and we’re proud to serve our community and provide the most reliable and responsive service in the Lowcountry.”

If a customer’s power is restored, Hargray services should automatically return to normal status. However, if that doesn’t happen, customers are encouraged to reset their modem or set-top box by powering off the device and disconnecting from the power source. After 30 seconds, plug the device back in, power it back on, and allow it to reset. The process may take up to 2 minutes.

If the problem persists, Hargray customers are asked to call the call center at 1-877-HARGRAY (1-877-427-4729) or send an email to [email protected]. Local retail stores in Beaufort and Bluffton reopened Tuesday, and the store in Hilton Head Island is expected to reopen Wednesday. For further updates, go to www.hargray.com.