The FCC has identified what it says were the main causes of the "unacceptably slow restoration of wireless service in the Florida Panhandle" following Hurricane Michael in 2018 and suggested, among other things, that wireless providers strike roaming agreements as part of pre-storm prep and engage in some backhaul "diversity."

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau released a report on its investigation, and concluded that the main culprits were "insufficiently resilient backhaul connectivity, inadequate reciprocal roaming arrangements, and lack of coordination between wireless service providers, power crews, and municipalities."

Related: FCC Update: Force of Hurricane Michael Still Felt in Communications Circles

That lack of coordination sometimes led to new communications outages being created by the clean-up and recovery efforts.

The report said there were numerous times when a provider had restored service only to have it brought down again by crews clearing trash or restoring power lines and utility poles, a case of "miss utility" not missing communications lines.

The report said that lack of coordination among wireless providers, utilities and cleanup crews unnecessarily prolonged service outages.

“It will come as no surprise to the residents of the Florida Panhandle that there is significant room for improvement on the recovery efforts seen in the wake of Hurricane Michael,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “I appreciate the efforts of the FCC’s public safety staff and call on wireless phone companies, other communications providers, and power companies to quickly implement the recommendations contained in this report.”

The report recommends some changes in addition to roaming pre-arrangements:

1. "Communications providers and power companies in hurricane-prone areas enter into coordination agreements regarding mutual preparation and restoration efforts that can be activated when a storm strikes.

2. "Wireless providers use diverse backhaul options, such as microwave links and satellite links in hurricane-prone areas.

3. "Communications providers participate in training activities to improve coordination of restoration efforts.

4. "Wireless providers ensure familiarity with applicable best practices, especially as they relate to cooperation and coordination with local utilities."

Overbuilder WideOpenWest said it has finally restored 430 miles of network infrastructure in Panama City, Florida badly damaged in October when Category 4 story Hurricane Michael made landfall.

“While we’re thrilled to announce the total restoration of our network, we know there is still much work to be done. We are thankful for the community’s patience and we look forward to continuing to provide best-in-class products and services in 2019 and beyond,” said WOW CEO Teresa Elder, in a statement.

Related: WOW Rebuilds in Wake of Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael made landfall on Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach, Fla., as a Category 4 storm with winds up to 155 mph. The storm cut a path of destruction through seven states from Florida through to Virginia, causing more than $14 billion in damage.

WOW's networks in Augusta, Columbus, Georgia, and Charleston sustained less severe impacts from the storm and are open and operating normally.

As of mid-December, Comcast was in the final stages of building a new network in Panama City, building out more than 650 miles of new infrastructure.

Charter Communications, meanwhile, is rebuilding its entire plant in Chattahoochee, Florida, and it’s also working to restore service by mid-January in Blountstown, Florida.

And Mediacom has been working to lay 330 miles of new fiber in the Panhandle region since the storm hit.

"It's probably the worst storm our construction crews have ever dealt with," company spokesman Tom Larsen told local newscasters last month.

As of the FCC's most recent status report, there were a total of 185,841 cable/wireline customers without service in Florida as a result of Hurricane Michael. There were another 14,855 in Alabama and 63,473 in Georgia. There were four TV stations out of service, 30 FM radio stations silent and 4 AMs as of midday Thursday (Oct. 11).

The figures are according to the FCC's voluntary disaster reporting system. At the request of FEMA, the FCC extended the data collection to nine additional counties after that midday report.

“Data from the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System shows that Hurricane Michael caused substantial communications outages along its destructive path," FCC chair Ajit Pai said of the storm. "[M]y office and staff from the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau [have] reached out to representatives of carriers and broadcasters to discuss the situation on the ground and how to restore service as quickly as possible. In particular, we were pleased that carriers had pre-positioned equipment and were in the process deploying cells on wheels (COWs) and cells on light trucks (COLTs) in order to get wireless service up and running in many locations...."

Cable operators spent the past week in preparation for Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in the Florida panhandle Wednesday afternoon with winds up to 155 mph.

According to reports, Hurricane Michael made landfall at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 10) at Mexico Beach, about 20 miles southeast of Panama City, Fla. By 5:05 p.m. the eye of the storm was leaving Florida, but the hurricane was still a Category 3 disturbance, packing sustained winds of up to 125 mph as it neared the Florida/Georgia/Alabama border. 

The storm was expected to bring heavy rains, high winds and record storm surges, and has been called the strongest hurricane to ever hit the Gulf Coast side of Florida.

Comcast, which has customers in Panama City and Tallahassee Fla.; and Dothan, Ala., has been making its network of more than 8,000 WiFi hotspots throughout the affected areas available to all residents and emergency personnel for free.  The company also has been offering safety tips and information on how to stay connected during the storm on its Twitter feed and other social media outlets.

[embed]https://twitter.com/ComcastSouth/status/1050084429249609728[/embed]

“As you’d imagine, there’s been a tremendous amount of preparation work that’s been done pre-storm, staging trucks, fuel, equipment and staff in and outside of the Florida region to ship in from other markets as needed,” said Comcast regional spokesman Brian Farley.

Cox Communications has systems in Pensacola and portions of the Gulf Coast and is expanding the availability of The Weather Channel in those areas. 

Cox said the temporary authorization for all its Starter TV customers will extend through Friday, Oct, 12 in the Florida Gulf markets of Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Destin, Niceville, Sandestin, Walton County, and Freeport.  Customers can tune to channel 38 or 1038 to access TWC. With the exception of Freeport, Starter customers will also have access to "Weather Nation", WPMI DT2 on channel 696.

At AT&T, the focus too is on providing connectivity to residents and emergency personnel that need it. On its website, AT&T said its local and regional Network support teams, its Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) team, and the AT&T FirstNet team, have staged network assets along the Gulf Coast for quick deployment if needed, including:

· 32 COWS (Cell on Wheels) and COLTs (Cell on Light Trucks)

· 7 Emergency Communications Vehicles (ECVs) and Emergency Communications Portables (ECPs)

· 1 Hazmat and Mobile Command Center

Mediacom Communications has also been working hard in preparation of the storm. According to its website, it has taken the following steps: 1. Portable and back-up generators are secured in coastal areas, and topped off with fuel supplies. Fuel, clean up equipment, and restoration supplies are stockpiled.

2. Additional field resources are on standby to conduct post storm damage assessments and quickly begin restoration activities following the storm.

3. Critical systems and infrastructure are secured to withstand potential water and hurricane force wind damage in flood prone areas.

4. We have rescheduled service and installation appointments in affected areas.

5. Operations are closed in all Florida offices for employee safety on Wednesday, and will be closing early in many Georgia areas. We will re-open operations once it is deemed safe to travel following the storm.

Mediacom also is offering free Community WiFi from its hotspots in Gulf Shores, Ala.; and Valdosta, Ga.; to provide some temporary internet access for people who have evacuated to these areas, and for members of these communities. Customers can find important information and tips to prepare for a major storm by visiting the NOAA.gov website, or by clicking here.

At Charter Communications, which has a small presence in Panama City and Pensacola, spokesman Rich Ruggiero said the company’s storm preparation has been in effect all week — prepositioning staff, fuel, vehicles, supplies and other assets. The impact early on has been minimal – a few stores were closed and routine work has been rescheduled, but it was stressed that it was too early to tell what effect the storm will have on those markets.