Friday, January 15th, 2010: As Digicel continues to work around the clock to restore vital communications in Haiti, the company today expressed grave concern that flights carrying the necessary experts and equipment are not able to land at Haiti’s international airport.
A fully operational communications network is of critical importance to the relief efforts that are currently underway and, to date, four flights carrying Digicel technicians and equipment have been turned away from the airport in Port-au-Prince.
Digicel Chairman, Denis O’Brien, said: “We have been in contact with the United Nations and numerous NGOs who are telling us that restoring Haiti’s communications network is a vital first step in this relief effort. It is critical that our planes carrying all the necessary equipment and technicians be allowed to land in Haiti.”
Following the earthquake on Tuesday, January 12th, Digicel deployed a team of technical experts to Haiti. Digicel’s three switches – which serve the entire country – have been assessed by the team and they are operational. However, a number of sites have been damaged – specifically some roof top sites in Port-au-Prince. Congestion also continues to be an issue which Digicel will be able to resolve once the necessary equipment arrives.
“Over the past three days, our teams – both on the ground in Haiti and around each of the countries we operate in – have been working around the clock on the relief effort for Haiti. The response from our customers has been incredible and we have received a wave of donations which we are using to send emergency aid such as food, water and medical supplies to NGOs on the ground in Haiti. It is vitally important that we keep this momentum going over the coming days,” Mr. O’Brien added.
In addition to the equipment and technicians that Digicel is trying to send to Haiti, a 30,000llb cargo of medical supplies, food and water is ready to be dispatched from Jamaica once the situation in the airport has been resolved.
MR DIGICEL I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY NEED FOOD AND MEDICINE AND A HOME TO SLEEP IN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY NEED A PHONE SERVICE WHERE THEY CAN GET INTOUCH WITH LOVED ONES OR WHERE LOVED ONES CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DIGICEL TRYING TO MAKE ANYMONEY IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEWS WELL THERE A LOTS OF FAMILY TRYING TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE ANY RELATIVE WHO ARE ALIVE IN HAITI, AND I CAN SEE THE FRUSTRATION ON THERE FACES, I CAN IMAGINE THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT THEY ARE EXPRIENCING, THIS IS OF GREAT CONCERN, SO AS I SAID BEFORE YES THEY NEED SHELTER WHICH THEY WILL GET, THEY NEED FOOD WHICH THEY ARE ALREADY GETTNG AND PLENTY MORE ON THE WAY AND THEY NEED MEDICINE WHICH THEY ARE GETTING SLOWLY BUT SURELY HOWEVER THEY ALSO NEED THAT PHONE SERVICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THERE LOVED ONES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE SAFE, SO I THINK BEFORE WE JUST WRITE OR SAY WHAT WE WANT LET US JUST ANNALIZE AND ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS AND WELL BEING OF OTHERS.
o shut up PATRIOT wat u think is you alone watching the news? well let me tell you. one of my many hatian friends just email me today and tells me she lost six members of her family so far and thats just one of my many friends..and cell phone service is the last thing on their mind now what they need most is helicopters dropping food and water and maybe a blanket for them to sleep on on the street..so SHUT THE HELL UP
@$uper$aver
I think you missed the boat on that one.
Following the news I think you would have heard over and over of the aid and rescue efforts in Haiti being a LOGISTICAL nightmare. One of those critical elements factoring into the logistical challenges is communication. While cell phones may not be food or medicine, a functioning cell network would very much enhance the coordination of the aid and rescue effort. Getting critical food and medicine to the areas of need quicker saving lives and alleviating suffering in the process.
Give me a break mr. digicel..you a concerned about not being able to get into haiti now and restore phone service? give me a break! these people need food, medical, water, aplace to rest their head at night..not your stupid phone service..You worried about not being able to get into haiti? I think you a worried about the money you a loosing there..but even if you restore phone service what would the haitians use to pay your service? GIVE ME A BREAK..We dont need your phone service right now so shut the hell up and take a bottle of water and try to ge it to someone in haiti insted of your stupid phone serive…GREEDY
n skerro think he can land,,,, lol,,,,, but why don’t they land in dominican republic,,,, even if it took 2 days to reach port-au-prince,,,, its better than waiting a whole week