1500 GT&T customers affected by cable damage, vandalism

More than 1000 GT&T landline and data customers in downtown Georgetown are currently without service as a result of extensive damage done to the company’s cable cabinet facility at the junction of Main and Middle streets.

In a press release yesterday the company said based on information received the unit was struck by a vehicle which is yet to be identified, some time during the evening of March 10.

The damaged cable cabinet (GT&T photo)
The damaged cable cabinet (GT&T photo)

Entities served by cables from the cabinet include State House, the Office of the Attorney General, Hand-in-Hand Trust, the Ministry of Finance, Scotiabank, Ministry of Culture, the Prime Minister’s residence, Palm Court, Courtney Benn Construction and Wieting and Richter. Other customers south of Lamaha Street, west of Carmichael Street, east of Water Street (all the way to the Demerara River) and north of Church Street are also affected.

“Vandalism, careless excavation and incidents such as this recent one continue to affect the delivery of service to GT&T’s customers since financial and human resources have to both be diverted to effect repairs to the services,” the company said. Further, GT&T noted, even as it is in the process of repairing the cable and damaged cabinet it has detected an act of vandalism on the East Bank Demerara in the New Hope area where thieves have removed several spans of the company’s cable affecting about 500 customers.

GT&T is appealing to the public to report any suspicious act near its infrastructure or act of vandalism on its confidential hotline number 0908. “The disruption of communication facilities can have major adverse effects on the security, business and social life of all citizens,” the company said.