Why might cable interruptions occur during bad weather?

Cable interruptions during bad weather are often the result of damaged cables or equipment failure. Adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain, strong winds, ice storms, and lightning can physically impact the infrastructure. For instance, strong winds can cause tree branches to fall onto power lines or cable connections, leading to breakage. Similarly, water infiltration can lead to short circuits or corrosion in junction boxes and connections, compromising signal quality and integrity.

In scenarios of severe weather, external factors like flooding or icy conditions can also weaken or break the physical components that make up the system—whether it's the fiber optic lines themselves or the amplifiers and nodes that process and transmit signals. Thus, while demand changes, signal amplification issues, or user actions can affect service in specific ways, direct damage caused by environmental factors is the predominant reason for interruptions during inclement weather.