Major Optimum outage in New Jersey cuts off internet for many, but service is now restored for most

Earlier on Wednesday, at least 13,000 customers in New Jersey were affected by a major Optimum outage, according to the company’s outage map. But in the evening, the company said the outage had been restored for most customers, and when I checked the map, it said only 16 customers were still affected.

Optimum, which is owned by Altice USA and offers internet, TV, and phone services, hasn’t specified which of its services were down, though the outages appeared to be affecting all three for customers in the Parsippany-Troy Hills and Boonton areas.

“Earlier today, a car accident on Route 53 knocked down a pole, causing a fire, which led to a loss of services for some Optimum customers in the Parsippany, NJ area,” Altice USA spokesperson Ashwin Bhandari said in a statement to The Verge. “Our teams were immediately dispatched to the scene and are currently on-site making repairs to restore services to affected customers as quickly as possible. We appreciate our customers’ patience at this time and will provide an update upon restoration.” The company’s @OptimumHelp Twitter account shared a similar statement earlier in the day.

On Wednesday night, Optimum announced that things were largely fixed. “Our crews have completed repairs and service has been restored for most customers in the Parsippany, NJ area,” the company said via @OptimumHelp. “You may need to restart your equipment. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience.

Update July 13th, 8:14PM ET: Optimum says service has been restored for most.