The Tribune

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it has expanded its Grand Bahama recovery team as it seeks to fully restore communications services to the island.

Besides restoring landline, internet, TV and mobile services, BTC added that it was also upgrading customers to its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure to provide faster broadband speeds and an improved TV product. The upgrades are being done free of charge to customers.

André Foster, BTC’s senior director of technical operations, said: “We have increased manpower on the ground in Grand Bahama as we work to restore all landline, Internet and television services as quickly as possible.

“The progress is encouraging and we are working to have all services restored. Billing for fixed-line services has been suspended for customers in Grand Bahama and Abaco since September.”

André Knowles, director of BTC’s business-to-business (B2B) category, added: “We are working to restore normalcy to our business and residential customers in the fastest time possible. In many instances, to facilitate communications, we are forwarding their fixed-line numbers to their mobile phones while we repair services.

“We’ve been contacted by many of our customers who want to add new services, especially broadband and television. In the last week alone we’ve had more than 100 requests for new services. Most of our customers in the fibre footprint are operational.”

BTC said civil works are currently in progress, and cables being rerouted, from the company’s McKenzie Street central office to Pioneer’s Way. A temporary mobile tower has been erected at the Freeport Container Port while restoration efforts continue.

BTC’s technical teams last week also canvassed the Lucaya, Lincoln Green 10, Glenburn Drive, Jansel Court, Lucaya Towers, Chesapeake, VOPAK, Swann Drive, Blockade Drive, Dundee Bay Drive, Arden Forest, Bartlett Hill, Bootle Bay, Deadman’s Reef, Holmes Rock, Lewis Yard, Malaboo Reef, Martin Town, Park Royal, Pinder’s Point, Royal Bahamia, Silver Cove, West End and Oceanhill communities to restore landline and Internet services.

Staff will continue to visit communities, and BTC encouraged customers to follow the company’s social media pages for upcoming restoration dates in Grand Bahama.

“We’re also continuing to make steady progress in Abaco, and are grateful that many of our technical team members have returned to the island to drive the restoration efforts. We are also currently restoring fibre to Dundas Town, Central Pines, Bustic Bright, the Government complex, Thurston Bay, Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Hope Town, Man-O-War, Coopers Town, Guana Cay and Bakers Bay,” Mr Foster added.

As BTC restores services, it has also continued its humanitarian efforts. It recently provided backpacks and school supplies to students from The University of The Bahamas. BTC has also continued visiting residents in various communities in Grand Bahama, providing food and relief supplies.