Most of us at Big River have been in the communications business for our entire professional careers, many spanning decades of experience.  We are all too familiar with the need for reliable communications especially in times of natural disasters.  What we are experiencing due to the impact of the changes in people’s behavior to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is similar to natural disasters and is placing a greater reliance and demand for our communications services.  This is expected in times like these and we have prepared.

We have procedures and teams in place to deliver high-quality voice and data services during this time and are fully staffed to effectively respond to any technical or operational event that may occur.  But, we have made some changes, including the following:

• We’ve closed our offices to the public to minimize social contact. But we are still available to help, just call us at (800) 455-1608.
• We have instituted a work-from-home plan to help care for our employees while ensuring our ability to effectively run our business. All of our employees are fully equipped with access to systems and/or network elements to remain fully productive.
• We’ve implemented policies to protect our employees, customers and vendors, including a pause in non-critical travel, enhanced cleaning and social distancing when we have direct encounter with others.
• In the event that our technicians are called out to a customer location, we will only come indoors if the customer is agreeable to any necessary indoor work. During any indoor visit, our technicians will:
  • Use a face mask,
  • Wear gloves,
  • Use anti-microbial hand sanitizer before and after the visit, and
  • Observe social distancing procedures.
• Our Customer Service group is fully functional. Feel free to call them if any need arises.

So, as you can see, we’re taking the coronavirus seriously and will continue to keep Big River’s services running smoothly. We recommend that everyone follow the CDC’s health tips, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Allow a proper distance between yourself and other people when in close contact with others.

We certainly appreciate the trust you have placed in us and value our relationship.  If there is anything we can do to help you, please let us know – that’s what neighbors are for.