Why is the Internet and Phone Not Working in the Magic Valley?

If you live in the Magic Valley, odds are high that sometime in the last couple of weeks your internet has gone out, or perhaps your phone service has been acting a little different, making it tough for you to make calls, receive calls, or send and receive texts. You are not alone, and it is likely not your phone or your computer. Many in the Magic Valley have been experiencing these difficulties and many are growing in frustration as it continues to happen. What is causing these internet outages and cell phone problems in the Magic Valley?

Internet Problems in the Magic Valley

Over the last couple of weeks, residents in the Magic Valley have seen issues with their phones, and depending on what internet provider you have, you have likely spent hours without the internet, perhaps having this happen to you multiple times. It is frustrating for residents, especially for those who work from home. It makes it impossible to watch anything on streaming services, getting work done, or browsing the internet on a computer or phone. The good news is that with data, some can still use their phones, but other issues still occur. The two main internet providers that have been seeing problems are White Cloud and Century Link. Phone carriers that have Verizon have been having issues as well. Is it the heat? Is it a satellite issue? Is it a cable issue? 

Why Does the Internet Keep Going Out in the Magic Valley?

If you have experienced the internet going in and out, you may have received an email. According to some residents, White Cloud sent out an email on Wednesday with the following message: 

There have been numerous outages over the last month which have caused issues for both our customers and our office internet as well. The problems that have been occurring have, mostly, been due to our bandwidth supplier having outages that are affecting White Cloud as well as other internet service providers and cell carriers all over Southern Idaho.

This is only a small excerpt of the email but provides a little bit of detail about what has been occurring. The email continues, explaining the issue in detail. 

When these outages occur, White Cloud can try and re-route internet traffic as best as we can, but we rely on our supplier to provide the majority of our bandwidth. White Cloud is very frustrated with our suppliers, but, unfortunately, bandwidth suppliers in the southern Idaho area are few.

While it may not be the answer that residents want to hear, it is an explanation, which is better than not hearing anything. The issue is that there appears to be no solution currently, and it appears internet and cell phone service could continue to go in and out in the coming days and weeks. 

If you are experiencing these outages, do not waste your time calling your internet provider, as you now should know what is happening. Instead, perhaps spend some time with a friend or family member that has access to the internet, if you need it. Take some time away from your phone, computer, and streaming devices, and spend some time outside or doing something else. It might be frustrating, but hopefully, the outages will end soon.