A hardworking 24/7 post-Hurricane Beryl restoration effort to reconnect over two million customers to the Digicel mobile network is paying off with the mobile operator reaching 90% population coverage as of Thursday.
Achieved in just under seven days since the Category 4 storm ravaged sections of Jamaica, CEO for Digicel Jamaica, Stephen Murad, declared, “Our simple promise is that we won’t stop until every Digicel customer is reconnected.” He heralded the mammoth achievement while thanking the company’s 98 work teams in the field: “Rapid restoration of communications for consumers and businesses is at the centre of our disaster response plan. Our teams are experienced, always looking for ways to perfect the restoration process, and always ready to respond at a moment’s notice.”
Significant coverage improvements have been ongoing in hard-hit St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, and Clarendon over the past two days. Mobile customers across the country can also access a Digi-Cares bonus, loaded with 1.5 gigabytes of data and 30 local minutes to welcome them back to the network. “Even though you may not have service today, the bonus will stay in your virtual wallet until the network returns for you to use it,” Murad informed. Digicel is also reassuring customers that their days that could not be used due the storm will be rebated between now and the end of July.
Following closely behind Digicel’s networks teams are another group of spirited employees who have fanned out across the country using mobile charging stations to get customers in power-stricken areas to charge their phones for free.
Leading the charge is Head of Direct and Retail Sales at Digicel, Fedora Bailey, who highlighted the impact of these efforts, stating, “Now more than ever, data service is critical, so we are on a mission to grant community members a chance to charge their devices, top-up credit, and purchase data plans so they can stay connected to the people and things they love most.” Bailey added, “What warmed our hearts was the feedback from the communities. As small a gesture as it may seem, it has been making a great impact.”
In addition to mobile charging stations, the Digicel Foundation has also been actively involved in distributing care packages containing essential food items, including non-perishable items, hygiene products, and other necessities to support the immediate needs of residents and aid in the recovery process.
For Moya Daley, a visually impaired resident in Crawford, St. Elizabeth, the relief supplies have been a life saver. “This means a lot to me. As you can imagine, it is even more difficult for me to function during times like this, and having a charged-up phone is crucial for my safety and connection to the outside world. I’m so grateful to the Digicel team for their support so far. Our parish took a hard hit, so we appreciate anything we can get,” Daley thanked.
