Hurricanes in Florida and Texas drove down video customer rolls by about 125,000 in the third quarter, but gains in high speed data subscriptions helped boost overall customer relationships by 115,000 homes.

Comcast had earlier warned that severe storms that ripped through Houston, Texas and western Florida would impact video customer growth in the period. At an investor conference last month, newly minted Comcast EVP of Xfinity Services Matt Strauss estimated that the customer losses would be between 100,000 and 150,000 customers. In the end, Comcast ended up in the middle – losing 125,000 video subscribers. But a gain of 214,000 high-speed internet customers helped steer overall customer relationships into the black. For the period, Comcast said it added 83,000 residential customer relationships and 32,000 business customer relationships. Comcast lost about 94,000 phone customers but added 51,000 security and automation subscribers.

High speed data revenue rose 8.9% in the period and video revenue increase 4.2%, mostly reflecting rate increases, additional revenue associated with a boxing event available on pay-per-view and an increase in the number of customers subscribing to additional services. Business services revenue increased 12.6%, primarily due to increases in the number of customers receiving our small and medium-sized business services offerings.

Total cable systems revenue increased 5.1% to $13.2 billion and cash flow increased 5.2% to $5.25 billion.

Consolidated revenue dipped 1.6% to $20.98 billion in the period, while cash flow increased 5% to $7.2 billion.

“I’m very pleased with the company’s operational and financial results during the quarter, Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement. “Across Comcast NBCUniversal, we are uniquely positioned with a broad range of growth opportunities that set us up well for the future.

Responding to the telecom chaos from Hurricane Irma, the Federal Communications Commission, working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has expanded its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) data collection area to include 18 counties in Georgia and three counties in Alabama, in addition to its existing request for information from all of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In a notice late Monday (Sept. 11), the FCC asked cable, broadcast, wireless and wireline providers to submit daily infrastructure status and situational awareness information until the DIRS is deactivated. Providers must send their information to the FCC's DIRS site, a voluntary, web-based system that collects status reports "during times of crisis."

Meanwhile, the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau moved ahead to gather data from communications providers in the affected areas. The Bureau suspended Network Outage Reporting System obligations in the affected counties where DIRS has been activated. The FCC has set a schedule for filing reports by 10 a.m. every day until DIRS is deactivated.

Senate Adopts SANDY Act
Separately, the Senate adopted the Securing Access to Networks in Disasters (SANDY) Act of 2017 on Monday night.

“In the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, this legislation comes not a moment too soon," newly reinstated Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

"We know that weather-related emergencies and other disasters can occur anywhere at any time," she said, adding that the legislation "promises to help speed restoration of essential communications in times of disaster."

The Senate's unanimous approval of the SANDY Act on Monday night followed House passage of the companion bill last week.

Pai Cites Disaster Response at Wireless Conference
FCC chair Ajit Pai, in a scheduled address to the first-ever Mobile World Congress Americas in San Francisco on Tuesday (Sept. 12), opened his remarks with an extensive explanation of the FCC's role as part of the federal government’s disaster response efforts. Pai said it will "be a long time before we’ll be able to calculate the total amount of damage inflicted by Harvey and Irma."

Then he complimented the wireless industry.

"We already know one thing: It would have been a lot worse if it weren’t for wireless communications," Pai said.

"We work closely with DHS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state public safety officials and private communications providers ... [to] monitor the status of communications networks in affected areas," Pai said, emphasizing the government agencies' efforts to "assist with recovery and restoration efforts" and to "ensure that first responders on the ground can quickly get access to the spectrum they need to communicate."

Pai stressed the value of wireless connections throughout his opening remarks to the San Francisco Conference, the first North American version of the landmark World Mobile Congress held in Barcelona each February.

"In the case of Hurricane Harvey, the one bit of good news is that wireless networks were much more resilient than in some previous disasters," he said, calling it a "lifeline."

"In the initial phase of Harvey, Houston’s main 911 emergency response center received more than 96,000 calls, many of which were from wireless phones," Pai said, drawing on his visit to Texas last week. "Many of the more than 11,000 people rescued by the Coast Guard were found because of wireless calls. That includes one 14-year-old girl who was saved after telling Siri, 'Call the Coast Guard.'

"The past two weeks remind us that for public safety purposes alone, wireless communications during times of emergency are critical," Pai said.

He also acknowledged the launch of Apple's new iPhone 8, which was debuting at an event a few dozen miles away in the Bay Area simultaneously with his speech.

"To me, the more notable coincidence of timing and location is that it was 10 years ago, in this very building complex, that Steve Jobs debuted the very first iPhone," Pai said. He used that example to praise the wireless industry for continuing its innovation.

Related: Apple Intros Apple TV 4K

"We find ourselves nearing another possible hinge moment," he said, using his term for pivotal advances in telecom technology. "We’ve seen remarkable progress, but it feels like we’re still waiting for another huge breakthrough."

"5G could well be what we’re waiting for," he said. "Going from 2G to 3G was the mobile equivalent of switching from dial-up to broadband. Similarly, the transition from 4G to 5G promises to be more than just incremental change — we could see dramatic improvements in network speed, capacity and responsiveness that will make the impossible possible."

Related: Charter, Samsung Team on 5G, 4G LTE Trials

And he used the platform to fret again about the lack of rural wireless broadband capability.

"I personally experienced this last week while driving from Houston to Austin," Pai said. "The personal impact of the 'no service" display in that case was trivial. ... But the wireless aspect of the rural digital divide has serious costs for many people. ... The mobile marketplace is healthy, but we’ve got work to do to close the digital divide and boost network investment, which go hand in hand. And we need to tackle these issues with an eye toward revving the virtuous cycle of faster, better networks that unleash new innovations that drive additional consumer demand."

The Fox Sports Network Engineering & Operations hub in The Woodlands, Texas, about 40 miles north of Houston, delivered 78 live events over the weekend of the disastrous rainfall and flooding from Hurricane Harvey, even though only about 120 employees were able to be there (about 40% of the staff).

Through last Wednesday (Aug. 30) the live events figure was up to 104, and some employees still were unable to get to the building because of the flood conditions.

About 20 close family members also took residence in the facility, which is the master control center for all 21 of Fox’s regional sports networks.

Fox said a number of employees suffered severe losses in terms of home and vehicle damage. The Woodlands did not receive as much rainfall as Houston, but still had 19 inches of rain as of last Monday (Aug. 28) with more expected that day.

“The company and the facility have come through with flying colors so far,” Eric Shanks, Fox Sports president and chief operating officer, told The Wire. He added: “But that’s not our main concern. It’s the people who actually live in the area, now that it’s only going to get worse from here on out.”

Fox is focused on providing financial assistance, Shanks said, matching contributions to United Way of Greater Houston and priming the pump with $100,000. And 21st Century Fox is setting up an internal fund for employees to apply for grants “to repair whatever they need to repair, living expenses, to get back to where they need to be.”

Shanks said the facility was designed to be able to live out of: “walk-in freezers, sides of beef, red beans and rice cooking every day, showers, everything.” Hot water, though, has been in short supply.

This article appears in the Sept. 4 edition of Multichannel News's Through the Wire.

Comcast said Thursday that its maintenance technicians are working in all areas of Houston where power has been restored and roads are accessible.

Those areas include Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty and Montgomery Counties, the operator said.

Most of the remaining outages are due to loss of commercial power to its network in the area, Comcast said, adding that it’s deploying generators in neighborhoods to power the network until commercial power is restored.

Comcast, which began its assessment and restoration phase in the area amid the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey yesterday, said “hundreds” of technicians along with resources from other parts of the country have begun to arrive in Houston to help with the restoration process.

RELATED: Comcast Starts Assessment, Restoration Phase in Houston

“The assessment of Comcast facilities, services and network continues in high-impacted areas as flood waters recede,” the company said. “Comcast is working diligently to restore service to all impacted customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

Additionally, all Xfinity stores in Houston are open and operating under normal business  hours, Comcast said.

Comcast and NBCU have committed $1 million-plus to support Houston-area relief efforts through cash and in-kind contributions.

RELATED: Comcast-NBCU Commits $1M-Plus to Hurricane Harvey Relief

Comcast also has opened up 53,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the Houston area. Under the current plan, non-Comcast customers can access those access points for free through Friday, Sept. 8.

AT&T said it’s deploying a fleet of 25 drones to areas in southeast Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey to check cell towers.

AT&T, which is also using them to determine network impact in those areas, noted that the drones are helpful to inspect assess damage in areas that aren’t accessible to cars or trucks due to flooding or are otherwise inaccessible due to storm damage.

RELATED: AT&T Deploys Portable Cell Sites, Charging Stations in South Texas

Those drones can take HD video and photos of a cell site, providing visuals of equipment, components and cabling, AT&T said, noting that engineers can use the technology to inspect the cell sites remotely from the ground in real-time.

Update: This sample video shows the drones in action, including a stating site in San Antonio and cell tower inspection footage taken in the Corpus Christi area.

AT&T added that it plans to deploy two Satellite Cell on Wheels (Sat COLTs) in Beaumont, Texas, and to stage 12 more in the area to support customers and first responders in that area in the wake of the storm.

Comcast and NBCUniversal have committed more than $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions toward relief efforts for flooding and other devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.

The commitment for those Houston-area relief efforts includes $500,000 in cash to be shared between Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and the American Red Cross.

Related: Comcast Temporarily Suspends Operations in Houston

Comcast said it will also donate advertising time on its cable systems to those organizations to run public service announcements to help educate concerned citizens about how they can assist with flood relief efforts.

Its owned NBC and Telemundo stations also are implementing local phone banks and telethons to raise awareness of ways communities can help with the crisis in Houston, the company said.

Related: Verizon Commits $10 Million to Harvey Relief

Comcast, which had suspended operations in Houston as a safety precaution, has also opened 53,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the Houston area to customers and non-customers to help residents and emergency workers there stay connected.

Communications companies continue to up the ante on help for Hurricane Harvey-related areas.

Verizon said late Tuesday (Aug. 29) that it was pledging $10 million to fund relief efforts through four non-profit organizations to meet short- and long-term needs.

Related: Verizon Offers Communications Help to Harvey-Affected Customers

In addition, the company is:

"Relieving postpaid customers of data, talk and text charges and giving prepaid customers an extra 3 GB to be used for data, talk and text from Aug. 26 through September 15.  The September 15 date reflects a one-week extension to what was previously announced.

"Deploying mobile equipment including Cells on Wheels (COWs), and Cells on Light Trucks (COLTS) to supplement service in areas of South Texas that need extra network capacity. Verizon has staged additional equipment and is prepared for rapid deployment as needed in hard-hit areas. This initiative is part of a network investment of nearly $1 billion in 2016 in the state of Texas.

"Working closely with several federal and local government agencies to help support first responders on the ground with much needed communications services.

"Staffing shelters with Verizon employees in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio to assist first responders and displaced residents with mobile charging, internet access and other communications needs.

"Along with its subsidiary Oath, the company is providing financial support to residents of Houston and South Texas with dollar-for-dollar matches of employees’ contributions to select relief-focused organizations. Oath also will match consumers’ contributions to select relief-focused organizations when they donate after visiting one of Oath’s web properties. More information can be found at https://yahoo.benevity.org/community.

"Offering emergency financial assistance to employees who have been affected by this tragedy though both its employee assistance program and its VtoV program where employees can donate funds to help fellow employees affected by a natural or personal disaster. In addition, to reinforce our long- term commitment to the communities we serve, Verizon will be offering it’s more than 10,000 employees who work in the states of Texas and Louisiana the opportunity to volunteer for the Harvey recovery effort over the coming months and receive up to a weeks vacation for their time."

Other cable and telecom companies assisting with relief efforts via services and donations include Altice USA, Comcast-NBCU, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Altice USA said it will provide customer support and employee assistance as part of the company’s Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

As part of that, Altice USA said it’s making a $50,000 donation to the Red Cross of Texas, and is providing the Red Cross with free advertising time across its Optimum and Suddenlink systems nationwide.

Altice USA, which acquired Suddenlink in late 2015, said it’s also in contact with local officials to determine how donations made by its employees may be utilized to help the affected communities.

Related: Comcast Temporarily Suspends Operations in Houston

Altice USA said it has also implemented the following measures:

-Customer accounts for those who have lost service due to flooding will be credited for equipment and services dating back to August 25.

-Suddenlink customers will not be charged for lost or damaged equipment.

-An Employee Disaster Relief Fund has been established to assist employees directly affected by Hurricane Harvey, and the company will match the employee contributions.

-Altice USA employee volunteers from around the country are traveling to assist the Company and its employees with customer restoration and recovery efforts.

Related: More Cell Sites Out, Cable Outages From Harvey

The operator said its employees are “working around the clock” where physical access has been permitted, including Victoria, Texas, to assist affected Suddenlink customers, local communities and employees.

Additionally, the Suddenlink retail store in Victoria (105 Industrial Dr.) is open and will provide free WiFi and charging stations for all residents, the company said.

Comcast said Monday that it is continuing to suspend operations in the Houston area until local emergency management agencies deem it safe to be on the roads as the region continues to grapple with the destruction and flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

“Restoration crews remain on standby,” Comcast said, in a statement. “Once clearance is granted, Comcast's maintenance technicians will be dispatched to begin assessment and restoration efforts throughout the Greater Houston Area including Galveston, Liberty, Brazoria, Harris and Fort Bend Counties.”

Related:AT&T Deploys Portable Cell Sites, Charging Stations Following Hurricane Harvey | Verizon Offers Communications Help to Harvey-Affected Customers|T-Mobile Offering Free Data to Harvey-Affected Subs |More Cell Sites Out, Cable Outages From Harvey

 Comcast Houston’s Twitter handle noted that most service outages in the area are because of power outages:

Vast majority of our outages are due to power failures that affect our network. As power is restored our services typically are as well.

— Comcast Houston (@ComcastHouston) August 28, 2017

To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected, Comcast earlier this week opened access to more than 53,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the Greater Houston area.

Comcast said it has extended open access to that WiFi network until September 8.

To gain access, Comcast high-speed internet customers need locate and select WiFi networks bearing the “xfinitywifi” SSID and then launch a browser.

Non-Comcast subs are advised to visit the “Not an XFINITY Internet Customer” section on the sign in page to get started.  Those non-subs will need to renew their complimentary session every two hours, Comcast said.