Just under two months since the passage of Hurricane Maria, telecommunication company, Flow, is reporting that mobile and data services have been restored to 85 percent of the island’s population.
“Eighty-five percent of our people here can make and receive mobile calls and can have communication via data services,” the company’s manager, Jeffrey Baptiste said at a press briefing on Monday.
According to Baptiste, all of Flow’s 49 cell sites were off the air the morning after the storm, however, 33 are now fully operational.
“So we had 49 cell sites totally off air as a direct result of the impact from Hurricane Maria,” he stated. “Ten percent of our mobile infrastructure was totally devastated and destroyed. I can report that we have now restored 33 of the 49 cell sites, in any language you put it, in below two months considering the unprecedented impact our country as a whole suffered, 33 out of 49 sites restored is nothing short of phenomenal.”
He stated the figure represents 67 percent of mobile sites that are back in action.
Baptiste said the company has restored services to Roseau and environs, Marigot, Portsmouth and the Scotts Head area.
He stated that four additional sites will be completed by November 30.
“And this will include areas in the south and southeastern part of the country,” he said.
He noted that Flow is working to complete restoration work in Grand Bay, Bellevue Chopin and Pichelin areas by this week.
“Meaning by the middle of this week, we expect to have these areas restored,” Baptiste noted.
In terms of the company’s fixed telephone system, he stated that 75 percent of the copper infrastructure was devastated and damaged by the hurricane.
“We are continuing our line plan surveys and we are continuing restoration works in several areas of the country,” Baptiste remarked. “To date, we have a total of about 80 percent of our major business customers restored with service and the pace of success is closely linked to the state of readiness at these respective institutions.”
He said Flow is working in the Roseau and Portsmouth areas to restore connectivity to every business place that is ready.
He noted that 70 percent of government services have been restored.
what of Grandfond, Morne jaune, Riviere cyrique, Laplaine, Boetica and Delice? People too..Flow
Flow you are doing as best as you possibly could under the circumstances.
I can’t wait for the landlines and internet service to be restored. However, I will be patient, knowing the situation.
@ Dominican,all you have done is whinge whinge mon mon take your time things will get better, we nolonger have soukouyan in Dominica, wait your turn like you would have done in a white man country and stop that stupid monning and that goes to all workers party and supporters.
Excuse me for asking a question… I not in no rush, I just feel better when I know a date or estimated date atleast. Aren’t you? The same way people want to know when they will get water or electricity. I have water and electricity so all I need now is internet or cable to entertain myself. Capiche?
If “most” of the houses in Roseau and environs have tarpaulins on their roofs, they won’t be seeing electricity unless anytime soon. Unless of course if the repairs and or replacement s are done very, very soon
Ok. So landline restoration is being done. 80% of major businesses in Roseau have been reconnected and have telephone/internet connection. Any word for when homes will be checked? Most of the homes in Roseau and some in the environs have had their electricity restored. The sooner we can get a date the better, considering that data plans are not as great as we would like them to be.