WOODBRIDGE, New Jersey — Thousands of Xfinity customers across New Jersey woke up Sunday with no cable and no internet — and for many, the wait stretched close to two full days.
Up to 20,000 subscribers in more than a dozen towns lost service after severe thunderstorms and sweltering heat tore through the region. Xfinity’s outage map confirmed disruptions across Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, South River, Edison, Metuchen, Rahway, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, West Long Branch, Little Silver, Middletown, Rumson and Middletown — with Woodbridge and Perth Amboy recording the heaviest impact.
What caused the outage
Parent company Comcast pointed to a combination of extreme heat and violent storms that downed trees and triggered electrical fires across the region.
The core issue, however, is a significant fiber-optic cable break in Avenel — caused by storms that led to a utility pole fire.
South River Mayor Peter S. Guindi confirmed the details in a Facebook post after reaching out directly to Comcast.
Why repairs are taking so long
This is where things get complicated.
Before Comcast can fix the cable line, Public Service Electric & Gas crews must first install a brand new utility pole.
And by standard industry rules, cable and telephone companies are only allowed to begin work on a pole after electric utility repairs are fully completed.
That waiting process — not a lack of crews — is the main reason thousands of residents are still sitting without service.
“Comcast has advised that crews are standing by and ready to complete restoration as soon as they are able to safely access the pole,” Mayor Guindi said.
When will service return
Comcast has not confirmed an exact restoration timeline. Crews are staged and ready to move the moment the new pole is cleared for access.
Similar outages have also been reported in neighboring Delaware and Pennsylvania, suggesting the storm caused widespread damage well beyond New Jersey’s borders.
If your service is still down, are you finding ways to cope — or has the outage disrupted your work or daily routine? Let us know in the comments below.
