If your business is in Georgetown, Jarrell, Sun City, Serenada, Weir, Santa Rita Ranch, Florence, or Granger, there is a good chance you woke up this morning to no internet, no cloud apps, no credit card processing, and no phones.
You did nothing wrong. Someone with a pair of cutters did.
What Happened in Georgetown
In the early morning hours of Monday, July 13, 2026, criminals deliberately cut Optimum's fiber optic network near Interstate 35 and Northwest Boulevard in Georgetown. According to the Georgetown Police Department, the outage affected roughly 20,000 customers and also disrupted service for T-Mobile customers in the area. Authorities estimate the damage exceeds $100,000, and detectives are reviewing surveillance footage to identify those responsible.
Optimum says about one third of its customers across Georgetown, Jarrell, Sun City, Serenada, Weir, Santa Rita Ranch, Florence, and Granger were impacted, with full restoration expected by early morning July 14.
The suspected motive? Copper theft. Thieves have been targeting telecommunications infrastructure across the country to strip copper and sell it illegally. Here is the frustrating part: fiber optic cables contain no copper at all. They are made of glass and plastic. The thieves walked away with nothing of value, and an entire community paid the price with a full day of lost connectivity, including potential disruption to 911 emergency calling.
The Villain Is Not Just the Thief. It Is the Single Point of Failure.
Whoever cut those lines will hopefully be caught. But for Central Texas business owners, the real lesson is this: the criminal did not take your business offline. Your single internet connection did.
Most small and midsize businesses in Williamson County run everything through one pipe. One provider. One physical line. When that line goes down, whether from a backhoe, a storm, or a copper thief, everything stops:
- Point of sale systems and credit card processing
- Cloud based applications like Microsoft 365, QuickBooks Online, and your CRM
- VoIP phone systems
- Email, scheduling, and customer communication
- Security systems and remote monitoring that ride on your network
Industry research consistently pegs the cost of unplanned downtime in the thousands of dollars per hour, even for small businesses. Gartner has famously estimated the average cost at $5,600 per minute across organizations. Your number may be smaller, but multiply your hourly revenue, payroll, and lost productivity across a full business day and the math gets painful fast. A one day outage can quietly erase a week of profit.
And unlike a big enterprise, most local businesses do not have an IT department standing by with a failover plan.
Every Business Needs a Guide With a Plan
For over 22 years, CTTS has helped Central Texas businesses stay connected, secure, and productive. We are based right here in the region, and we design networks for exactly this scenario, because incidents like today's are becoming more common, not less. Attacks on telecom infrastructure are a growing national trend, and Central Texas is not exempt.
Here is what a resilient setup looks like:
1. Redundant Internet Connections
Two independent connections from two different providers, ideally using two different technologies, such as fiber plus fixed wireless, cable, or 5G business internet. If one path is cut, the other keeps you running.
2. Automatic Failover
Redundancy only works if the switch happens automatically. A properly configured firewall or SD WAN appliance detects the outage in seconds and reroutes traffic without anyone touching a thing. Your team may not even notice the primary line went down.
3. Business Continuity Beyond the Internet
Connectivity is one layer. A complete continuity plan also covers backup power, cloud based phone systems that fail over to mobile devices, and data backups that keep your operations recoverable no matter what happens at the street level.
4. Ongoing Monitoring
At CTTS, we monitor client networks 24/7. When a carrier outage hits, we know before you do, we confirm failover engaged, and we manage the carrier ticket so you can keep serving customers instead of sitting on hold.
What Affected Businesses Should Do Right Now
- Verify your restoration status. Optimum expects service back by early July 14. You can check outage updates through the My Optimum app or Optimum.com.
- Report suspicious activity. Police and Optimum are asking residents and businesses to watch for unmarked vehicles or people working near utility infrastructure without proper identification. Report anything out of place to local authorities.
- Document your losses. Track the hours you were down and what it cost you. That number tells you exactly what redundancy is worth to your business.
- Get an honest assessment of your risk. If one cut cable can take you offline for a full day, that is a business risk you can fix, usually for far less than a single day of downtime costs.
The Stakes: Two Versions of the Next Outage
There will be a next time. Maybe it's another theft attempt, maybe a construction crew, maybe a storm rolling through Williamson County.
In one version, your business goes dark again. Customers walk out. Calls go unanswered. Your team stands around waiting.
In the other version, your connection flips to backup in seconds, your phones keep ringing, your registers keep running, and your competitors are the ones apologizing on social media.
The difference between those two outcomes is a plan, and it starts with a conversation.
Get a Free IT Assessment From CTTS
If your business in Georgetown, Jarrell, Sun City, Florence, Granger, or anywhere in Central Texas was affected by today's outage, CTTS is offering a free IT Assessment. We will review your current connectivity, identify your single points of failure, and map out practical, budget conscious redundancy options so an event like this never takes you offline again.
Schedule a free strategy session with CTTS today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the July 13 internet outage in Georgetown, Texas?
Criminals cut Optimum's fiber optic lines near Interstate 35 and Northwest Boulevard overnight, apparently attempting to steal copper. Fiber optic cables contain no copper, so the thieves gained nothing, but roughly 20,000 customers lost service and damage is estimated at over $100,000. The Georgetown Police Department is investigating.
How can my business stay online during an internet outage?
The most effective protection is redundant internet: two connections from separate providers using different technologies, combined with automatic failover through a business grade firewall or SD WAN solution. When the primary line fails, traffic reroutes to the backup in seconds. A managed IT provider like CTTS can design, implement, and monitor this for you.
How much does internet redundancy cost for a small business?
Far less than most owners expect, and almost always less than a single day of downtime. A secondary connection such as 5G business internet or fixed wireless often runs a modest monthly fee, and failover hardware is a one time investment. During a free IT Assessment, CTTS will calculate your specific downtime cost and match a redundancy solution to your budget.
About CTTS:Â CTTS is a managed IT and cybersecurity company serving businesses across Central Texas, including Georgetown, Round Rock, Austin, Jarrell, and the surrounding communities. For more than two decades, we have helped local businesses stay secure, connected, and productive.
Contact CTTS today for IT support and managed services in Austin, TX. Let us handle your IT so you can focus on growing your business. Visit CTTSonline.com or call us at (512) 388-5559 to get started!