PHILADELPHIA, PA — As hurricane season intensifies, Comcast has rolled out new artificial intelligence and machine learning technology designed to cut storm-related Internet outages and restoration times nearly in half. The system, trialed during the 2024 hurricane season and now deployed nationwide, uses AI to detect mass outages faster, pinpoint their causes, and direct crews more efficiently.
“Power is essential to connectivity, but commercial power grids are increasingly challenged by surging demand and more frequent extreme weather,” said Elad Nafshi, chief network officer for Connectivity and Platforms at Comcast. “We know how crucial it is for customers to stay connected, especially during severe weather, so we’re leveraging our real-time network performance insight and proprietary AI to help ensure our network remains operational during commercial power outages.”
Most outages, which typically affect fewer than 200 customers and last under two hours, are already mitigated by Comcast’s network design, which can stay online up to four hours without commercial power. The new AI technology takes this further by analyzing thousands of customer alarms triggered during disruptions, grouping them by location and time, and identifying whether the issue stems from a power outage, fiber cut, or in-home problem. This allows Comcast to notify customers, direct them to their power providers when needed, and dispatch technicians with the right equipment for faster repairs.
During the 2024 hurricane season, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the tool was credited with helping more than 700 emergency crews prioritize recovery efforts across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Indiana. Comcast reported a 50 percent improvement in storm recovery effectiveness in impacted areas.
The company is also reinforcing resilience at the household level. Xfinity Pro customers can access a WiFi extender with 4G LTE backup and an optional battery, enabling up to four hours of home connectivity during a power outage.
Comcast has already embedded AI broadly in its infrastructure, resolving 77 percent of network software issues before customers are impacted. Its growing suite of AI applications now includes tools that automatically detect fiber disruptions, geolocate faults, and reroute traffic in real time.
“We’re building the smartest and most resilient network in the country by deploying machine learning and artificial intelligence from data centers right into our customers’ homes,” Nafshi said. “Storm recovery is just one application of the AI innovation we’re continuously developing to deliver next-generation connectivity, no matter the circumstances.”
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