BTC have announced that many of the 15,000 customers who were without service in the aftermath of Hurricane Gonzalo have had it restored, but warned it would be “some time” before all lines are back in operation again.

Meanwhile, wireless services carrier Digicel said its network was up to 90 percent capacity after its staff got several areas back online yesterday.

BTC chief executive officer Eric Dobson said: “Restoration of the Island’s communications facilities are of paramount importance, and we are making every effort to get these services restored as quickly as possible. Over the past week we have seen more than 150 main cables impacted and extensive damage to infrastructure throughout the Island. These figures do not speak to individual line damage and we believe as of Saturday morning, some 15,000 customers were without service. Many of those customers are now back in service, but it will be some time before all lines are restored.”

Mr Dobson added: “We appreciate the challenges associated with loss of connectivity in a world driven by data and ask that everyone be patient, knowing that we are doing our absolute best to get you all back up and running.”

BTC said their crews were on the road early on Saturday morning assessing damage and updating strategy plans. Some service remained negatively affected by damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay just five days before.

“The team has been working not only to restore services, but also to ensure the roads are safe for travel by raising cables and securing poles.

“Coordinating with and assisting other utilities partners wherever possible is critical if service is to be restored in a timely manner.”

The press release continued: “BTC have proven they are willing to go that extra mile, even if it means extending the use of its vehicles and working with other service providers to get all customers back in service.”

Mr Dobson praised BTC staff, saying: “The teams have been working tirelessly since Fay hit, despite challenges at their own at homes as a result of these storms, and have been unsung heroes in their own right.

“Their dedication and commitment to get service restored has been inspiring and we couldn’t be more proud of them.”

BTC recommended that the public use alternate communications mediums such as Facebook (BTC BDA) to report outages and make enquiries in an effort to keep lines clear for emergencies and to reduce call wait times. There is also the Contact Us option at www.btc.bm.

“The public is asked to provide as much information as possible when reporting faults including name, number, address and nature of the fault to make the process as efficient as possible.”

Digicel Bermuda yesterday announced an almost full return to capacity with the aim of restoring complete service by the end of the week.

The firm said data services improved for the majority of its customers. At close of business yesterday, the company saw several sites back online in parishes including Hamilton, Southampton, Somerset, Paget and St George’s.

Digicel Bermuda CEO Alistair Beak said: “After focusing on the eastern end of Bermuda yesterday our attention shifted to the west today where customers should have noticed a big difference in the areas mentioned. Undoubtedly the speed of network repairs was greatly accelerated given the additional riggers and engineers who landed yesterday afternoon, and were immediately deployed to assist. At this rate, we expect to return to 100 percent by the end of week as planned.”

He said: “Today’s biggest achievement was the complete rebuild of a site in Southampton, which was destroyed beyond repair after being battered by both Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gonzalo. Another highlight that customers will have noticed is increased data speeds across the island as a result of repairs made to key transmission links.”

Although Digicel’s home internet service was unaffected by the storms, the company stated it understands that local loop providers have not fully recovered, making it difficult for many of its customers to access the internet at home.

“Digicel is most appreciative of the positive feedback received during the network restoration period and are grateful for those customers who are requesting address of specific locations across the Island which are currently experiencing intermittent service. We certainly appreciate the patience received thus far and are working diligently with all of our customers in mind.

Digicel can be contacted on 500-5000.