UHWI, UWI and Spanish Town Courthouse among latest impacted by telecoms theft and vandalism

Flow said its technical teams are working to restore services to hundreds of residential and business customers, following extensive damage to its copper and fibre cables by vandals earlier this week.

The malicious cuts have left the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona in St Andrew and the Spanish Town Courthouse in St Catherine without telephony services.

“Approximately 750 copper-based lines on the UWI campus, which includes the hospital, have been impacted; while the Spanish Town Courthouse is also among entities left without their services by the rampaging vandals,” the company said in a press release today.

Michael Brown, Director of Technical Operations at Flow, said the company's technical and engineering teams are working on deploying alternative technology to facilitate the restoration of services to the affected customers.

“We are aware of the vital need for the impacted services and so every effort is being made at this time with our technical and engineering staff working around the clock, to provide alternative solutions, in an effort to restore services in the shortest possible time,” Brown shared.  

The extensive damage follows the company's largest customer-impacting incident of theft and vandalism involving hundreds of feet of copper cables in December 2022, when thieves wreaked havoc on the company's infrastructure in St Andrew, leaving thousands of customers without their internet, cable and telephone services during the holiday period.

“Despite the company's efforts to install security measures at our various locations, the incidents of theft and vandalism continue unabated. The incidents this week have potentially life-threatening consequences and so, even as we bear the significant financial impact of these acts, we are committed to our customers and are doing everything in our power to expeditiously restore services,” Brown stated.

“Even as the communication and entertainment company treats with the fallout from the theft and vandalism of its fibre and copper cables, it continues to invest millions of dollars to restore services to thousands of affected residential and business customers. This includes both increased replacement and restoration costs. Flow has also invested significantly in an extensive and comprehensive asset protection programme,” the telecoms firm said.

At a press conference late last year, Flow's vice president and general manager, Stephen Price, called for the Government to revisit the ban on copper exports and to review the current legislation to allow for higher fines and stiffer penalties for perpetrators.

Price's call was supported by several stakeholders, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Consumer Affairs Commission Unit (CACU).

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.