Around 10,000 People in Tyler Lost Internet This Weekend — Here’s the Wild Reason Why

(KNUE-FM) Were you one of the approximately 10,000 Optimum internet customers who lost internet service this past weekend? I was. I saw so many people online talking about it, too. Many were understandably frustrated. In our modern world, when we rely so heavily on the internet, we suddenly find ourselves without it. However, sometimes things happen that can't be controlled, like gunfire.

Why Did So Many People in Tyler Lose Internet Service?

According to a recent story from KETK that came out this afternoon, reports that Optimum put out a statement on Monday in which a representative said:

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused. Our teams worked around the clock to quickly and safely restore service after gunsh0t damage impacted Optimum's network."

How Did Gunshot Damage Affect Internet Service in Tyler?

Yep, gunsh0t damage. According to the statement, bullets hit and damaged the fiber strands in two of Optimum's aerial fiber lines. That's not something a company has any control over.

Read More: Texas Laws You Need to Know for 2026

Why Is Repairing Fiber Optic Lines So Delicate?

Something we didn't know, although it's not surprising to hear: repairing aerial fiber lines seems to require surgical precision, according to an Optimum representative. Yeah, it involves lining "up hundreds of tiny hair-sized fibers to join them so light and data can flow through." Whoa.

Can Tyler Optimum Customers Get a Credit for the Outage?

If you'd like to request a credit for any lost service, KETK reports you can "call within 30 days of a 4+ hour long outage to receive a credit" from Optimum.

Get our free mobile app

Thank you to all those who have been working so hard to restore internet service for your Tyler customers.