“Service for some customers in Nashville and surrounding areas may be affected by the damage to our facilities since this morning’s explosion. We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service,” the spokesman said. at AT&T, Jim Greer. .
Greer told CNN that a network hub had been damaged.
When a network hub is interrupted, usually by a hurricane or other natural disaster, some internet traffic may be redirected, but not all.
That’s why customers in Nashville and other parts of Tennessee have reported losing wireless and other connectivity.
Network hubs are based on commercial power, with backups for battery and generator. The damage to the installation may have affected these systems and caused the service to deteriorate later on Friday.
The disruption in the city center network had cascading effects at the airport and elsewhere.
AT&T deploys portable cell towers in Nashville to support law enforcement and improve wireless services. CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, is owned by AT&T.
Nashville International Airport said the telecommunications problems associated with the blast caused the Federal Aviation Administration to briefly stop flights from Nashville.
The FAA said the ground stop was lifted after about an hour. “The pilots have never lost touch with air traffic control,” the agency said in a statement.
The FAA website shows that the ground stop was issued due to a ZME frequency outage.
ZME is an FAA air traffic control facility in Memphis that is responsible for controlling aircraft in the area at higher altitudes.
The flight service at Nashville International Airport “continues to be affected by telecommunications issues,” a tweet from the airport said around 3:30 p.m.
“Some flight corridors have been restored, while others remain closed,” the tweet said.