Success Stories

Cyber attack, system under threat, DDoS attack. Camera flies frough HUD blue hexagons and padlocks, but one of them hacked. Cyber security and hacking concept. Vector illustration.

VOIP Cyberattacks, September 2021

Beginning in September and affecting many of the largest VoIP service providers in the US, extended denial-of-service cyberattacks impacted voice calling and 911 services. Customers in a variety of industries experienced a wide range of effects from dropped calls to complete voice service outages. These attacks, designed to extract ransom payments from service providers, affected multiple independent backbone carriers. Vector’s customers experienced reliable service throughout these attacks due to the robust design of the Vector voice network. By utilizing our private connectivity to voice backbone providers, which bypassed the Internet routes under attack, along with its privately owned ISP network, Vector customers were not exposed to the same level of impacts that affected other providers such as Microsoft Teams, Google Voice, RingCentral, 8×8, Mitel Cloud, and Nextiva. Also, agreements with multiple backbone carriers allowed Vector to route voice traffic away from carriers under attack. Vector met its 99.99% SLA throughout the events.

Extended Fiber Outages, January 2020

In Hyattsville, MD, where Verizon is the incumbent telecommunications provider, multiple ISPs use Verizon’s last-mile facilities to deliver service. Several businesses in the area, believing that using fiber services from separate ISPs would provide increased reliability, were surprised to find all of their service providers interrupted at once. A truck crash had severed Verizon’s optical cables, requiring an extended cleanup and repair process. The worst of multiple outages, lasting several days, prompted local businesses to look for other options. Vector’s microwave-based service was chosen by several businesses in the affected areas to complement their existing fiber services, providing an effective diverse backup option.

5G Sunset Cell Tower: Cellular communications tower for mobile phone and video data transmission

North American Derecho, June 2012

An unusually destructive summer storm system tracked across the Mid-Atlantic in late June, 2012. In addition to causing millions of utility power failures throughout the DC metro area, the storm damaged Internet infrastructure throughout the region, and took out 911 service for millions. Vector’s network, through the use of automatic standby generators and redundant communication pathways, maintained service to 100% of its customer base. Vector’s public safety customers, including local police and public works departments, were able to continue normal operations throughout the event due to Vector’s reliable network.

Hurricane Irene, August 2011

Griffith Energy Services, a leading Mid-Atlantic fuel supplier, found themselves in a similar position to many Maryland businesses in late August 2011. Hurricane Irene, which caused $15.6B in damage to the US, disrupted communications to an important company site containing a call center and email servers. Although the site maintained connections to multiple network providers, the hurricane’s floodwaters damaged shared equipment in manholes throughout the area, leaving the site completely isolated. With repairs expected to take weeks, Griffith turned to Vector. Within 12 hours, a new microwave connection was installed at Griffith’s crippled site, bringing operations back online and ending the company’s communication crisis. Today, the microwave connection serves as the facility’s primary Internet connection, and wireline facilities are used as backups.