Throughout our Comcast Western New England Region, we have thousands of technicians, engineers, cybersecurity professionals and other frontline team members who are working to build a better network, every single day. From innovating to increasing speeds, we are continuously improving our customers’ connected experiences. And as connectivity becomes ever more important, we’ve made strategic investments in building capacity not just to meet your current needs – whether it be for video conferences, streaming or gaming – but to stay well ahead of future demand.
Locally, one of the team members working on these investments is John, who was recently promoted to Director of Network Maintenance. John has over 40 years of experience working at Comcast, during which time he’s seen firsthand how our fiber-rich network has evolved. John and his team are responsible for responding quickly to spikes or shifts in Internet usage – ensuring residents and business stay connected.
We asked John to tell us more about his role and how he works to enhance the customer experience. Read on to see what he had to say:
Q: What does your job entail?
A: I oversee our region’s network operations team and am responsible for ensuring our customers receive unbeatable Internet. In addition, my team helps expand access and improve connectivity in the communities we serve, and we perform health checks to pinpoint potential issues, as well as monitor the security of our network.
Q: What does Comcast do to ensure the reliability of our network?
A: We continuously monitor our network to track how things are working in real time. We also have technicians who serve as trouble shooters in the field that we can dispatch at a moment’s notice to address anything that could impact our customers’ experience well before any changes to their service occur. In addition, we proactively upgrade our equipment to ensure our network can meet consumer needs now and well into the future.
Q: What are some ways our team prepares for an event that could potentially impact services, like a storm?
A: We have teams locally and along the East Coast who are continuously watching for storms and other weather events. Whenever we see potentially disruptive weather patterns, we go through a comprehensive checklist ensuring that we have appropriate staff, materials and resources ready for whatever a storm may bring. We also partner with local power companies to pre-plan for and coordinate recovery efforts. This way, when a storm does arrive, we are prepared and ready to hit the ground running as soon as it is safe to do so.
Q: What should customers know about preparing for a storm?
A: Storms are inevitable and having a plan for the event is critical. Stocking up on supplies and ensuring that your personal devices are charged and ready are a must during power outages. It’s also helpful if people have pre-charged battery banks on-hand for their devices as well. Also, customers should know our teams go out into the field as soon as it is safe to work to get our customers connected as quickly as possible, and that if the power is out, your local utility provider will need to restore power before your Xfinity services can be restored.
Customers can use the MyAccount app to manage a lot of Xfinity functions, including checking for and reporting service outages, and signing up to receive a text message when services have been restored.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your down time?
A: I enjoy several hobbies, and I especially love to cook and garden. There is always more than enough food and a good assortment of it whenever I am cooking, especially when it comes to my signature dishes of lasagna, baked mac and cheese, portabella mushroom meatballs and pulled pork. Also, I like hands-on projects, so if my family members need help with electrical, plumbing, landscaping, or anything to do with carpentry, you can bet I’m there!
Not only is our network reliable, with the speeds and coverage our customers have come to expect, it’s also growing! Learn more about our recent expansion to Jewett City, Connecticut and throughout Vermont.
