Vandalism, excavation cost GT&T US$3 million; section of G/town latest affected

Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 August 2014, 22:34 by GxMedia

Even as Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) technicians work feverishly to restore wireline telephone and data services to a section of south eastern Georgetown, the company said it has spent more than US$3 million on repairs due to excavation and vandalism.

The company said the latest severe service disruption has been caused by damage to the phone company’s buried facilities by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) while undertaking excavation works on Monday, August 25, 2014.

GT&T’s technical team is currently in the process of assessing the extent of the damages and the steps necessary to restore service to the affected customers in the shortest possible time.  The company is also addressing the vandalism of a 300-pair cable in the vicinity of Princess and High Streets, in the Werk-en-Rust area.

Areas affected by the excavation works, the company said, were Meadowbrook, Durban Backlands, Lodge Housing Scheme, Tucville, Stevedore and Postal Housing Scheme, and Guyhoc.

“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 our scheduled work programme.  What is more, these restoration works are costly,” said GT&T in a statement. The company said that year to date, GT&T has expended over US$3 million to effect repairs caused by vandalism and careless excavation.

GT&T says it sincerely regrets the avoidable inconvenience these thoughtless and malicious acts have occasioned and urge all Guyanese to be vigilant and to report any suspected act of vandalism of GT&T’s cables and equipment to its ‘Vandalism Hotline” (0908). 

The telecommuncations provider encourages all those engaged in excavation to call 0777 before undertaking any such work since it may be in the path of its facilities.