Phone service in parts of city disrupted by excavation

Wireline telephone and data services in several parts of Georgetown have been severely disrupted as a result of damage to GT&T’s buried facilities by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

The damage caused by the excavation (GT&T photos)
The damage caused by the excavation (GT&T photos)

20140827damagedA release from GT&T yesterday said that service in Meadowbrook, D’urban Backlands, Lodge Housing Scheme, Tucville, Stevedore and Postal Housing Scheme, and Guyhoc have been severely disrupted as a result of excavation work by GWI on Monday, August 25th 2014.

The release said that a GT&T’s technical team is currently in the process of assessing the extent of the damage and the steps necessary to restore service.

The company said it is also addressing the vandalism of a 300-pair cable in the vicinity of Princes and High Streets, in the Werk-en-Rust area.

GT&T lamented that both careless excavation and acts of vandalism continue to affect the company’s overall roll out of service, because these unanticipated service disruptions necessitate repeated diversion of technical personnel and resources away from the scheduled work programme. This is in addition to the fact that the restoration works are costly. To date for this year, GT&T says it has expended over US$3 million to effect repairs caused by vandalism and careless excavation.

GT&T urged citizens to be vigilant and to report any suspected act of vandalism of GT&T’s cables and equipment to its ‘Vandalism Hotline” (0908).

It also encouraged those engaged in excavation to call 0777 before undertaking any such work.