Fiber-optic cable cuts affect Mediacom customers in 3 states

Thousands of Mediacom internet and television customers have experienced service interruptions in Georgia, Illinois and Missouri after a pair of large fiber-optic cables were accidentally cut.

Mediacom Communications spokeswoman Phyllis Peters says a mower for a road crew severed a cable Thursday morning near Fitzgerald, Georgia. A little over a half hour later, a construction crew severed another cable near Carrollton, Missouri.

Peters said it was "very unusual" for the company to experience two significant cable cuts in the same day.

She said the Missouri incident caused video problems for about 140,000 customers in Missouri and Illinois and internet troubles for an unknown number.

She said the Georgia incident interrupted video service for up to 36,000 customers and internet service for as many as 15,000.