Telecommunications Services Recovered in Santiago de Cuba

The Cuban Telecommunications Company (Etecsa) is making progress in rehabilitating services affected by Hurricane Melissa in the province of Santiago de Cuba, which suffered significant infrastructure damage.

Arleen Labañino, a communications specialist for the Territorial Division of Etecsa, reported to the Cuban News Agency that out of 97,205 landline telephone lines in service, approximately 23,898 are affected, impacting 45.1 percent of users. Additionally, 78 radio base sites and several towers have been damaged.

She stated that of the 702 affected utility poles, which were either broken or toppled, 604 have been recovered to date. Several integrated cabinets and telephone exchanges also remain damaged.

Labañino expressed that teams are working "with unity, commitment, and resilience" to restore service to the population as quickly as possible, despite the complexity of the failures and the challenging geographical characteristics of the territory.

The recovery efforts in the province are supported by *17 line brigades, 30 cable and fiber optic teams, two interruption-response teams, and 29 repair and reconstruction teams*. The specialist affirmed that the people of Santiago have shown gratitude and cooperation toward these workers.

She also indicated that workers who have fallen ill with the chikungunya virus are being guaranteed the necessary medical attention, aiming for their swift recovery and return to the rehabilitation actions in the sector.

Luis Armando Crespo, a lineman from the Western Division of Havana, emphasized that they will remain for as long as necessary with the goal of reestablishing telecommunications services for the enjoyment of the people of Santiago and visitors.

He commented on the work carried out in the municipality of Guamá, one of the areas most affected by the cyclone—which made landfall in Cuba on October 29—as well as on the Baconao highway and in the town of El Caney, which belong to the provincial capital.

Crespo described the recovery work as "intense and complex," but affirmed that the teams possess the strength, responsibility, and preparation to fulfill their assigned missions.