Digicel warns network still fragile after Hurricane Melissa

Telecommunications provider Digicel says while most of its customers are back online following Hurricane Melissa, the company's network remains in a fragile state.

Chief executive officer Stephen Murad disclosed on Wednesday that service has been restored to 75 per cent of business customers and 89 per cent of home Internet users. However, he cautioned that the restoration is temporary.

"This is not a rebuild, this is a fragile fix," Murad told Parliament's Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee. "Until we have commercial power and pole infrastructure back, this is fragile."

He warned that customers should expect intermittent service disruptions as work continues to fully restore the network.

"And I know that's not a great story for me to tell, but I much prefer to tell you the truth. That's the reality," Murad said.

The category five hurricane, which made landfall in Westmoreland on October 28 with winds up to 180 miles per hour, caused widespread destruction to Digicel's infrastructure, particularly in southern Jamaica.

Despite the setbacks, Murad said the company is "pushing hard" to stabilize the system and complete permanent repairs in the coming weeks.

- Livern Barrett

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