• Submitted by: admin
• Caribbean
• history
• national
• Society
• Business and Economy
• Politics and Government
• 09 / 24 / 2008

---

Authorities from the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MIC) explained that the national telecommunication system was seriously affected by these two hurricanes, but over 59,000 services have already been restored.

They include basic telephony, public network, signs conduction, data transmission, besides recovering the connection with 11 municipalities and 73 out of the 113 localities lacking communication.

Experts explained that main telecommunication services are those to be primarily restored as soon as possible, as final solutions take more time and imply heavy investment.

Over 89,000 telephones in houses were cut off during pssages of Gustav and Ike, including nearly 32,000 of the so-called alternative fixed telephone system, according to reports on damages.

More than 11,000 payphones were also affected.

Despite intensive work, communication is still cut off in provinces including Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, Holguin, Camaguey and Pinar del Rio, besides the special municipality of the Isle of Youth,(with 84 percent of its network damaged).

(PL)