SINT MAARTEN (POND ISLAND) – TelEm Group technicians and engineers are reporting malicious damage to an underground fiber cable that has left customers in the Sucker Garden, Guana Bay and Hope Estate areas without landline and internet service.
The damaged was discovered Monday afternoon after customers in the affected areas began calling about an interruption in service.
After doing some troubleshooting with special measuring equipment, the technicians and engineers traced the problem to a manhole in the Sucker Garden area that had obviously been tampered with.
“There is clear evidence that someone went into the manhole and physically cut the cable. We are treating it as a malicious act and will be reporting the matter to the police,” said TelEm Group’s newly appointed Manager Outside Plant, Mr. Cyril Priest.
Anyone who witnessed the cable being cut or who may have seen anyone tampering with the company’s equipment and property in the Sucker Garden area Monday, are asked to report the matter to the police right away.
“Not only is this very time-consuming for our technicians in the field who have to be pulled from other jobs to fix the problem, it is also very inconvenient and dangerous for customers and businesses who need their fiber connection for work and security,” said Mr. Priest.
The Manager, Outside Plant, said a team of fiber cable splicers are busy repairing the damaged cable, which he said has been 90% damaged. If all goes well and weather holds, full service is expected to be restored Wednesday afternoon to all the affected areas.
Mr. Priest and TelEm Group have meantime apologized to customers in the Sucker Garden, Guana Bay and Hope Estate areas for any inconvenience caused by the interruption in service.
