THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd (GT&T) is lamenting the fact that, within recent months, the national telecommunications network has been repeatedly vandalised.

“This deliberate, mindless destruction of, or damage to, the country’s telecommunications facilities is not new. But, in recent months it has spiraled out of control,” GT&T said. The giant telecommunications company pointed out that, so far for the year, it has recorded 52 acts of vandalism in communities from East Berbice to Linden.

It said the cumulative effect of these acts have been the disruption of the lives and livelihoods of thousands of households and businesses; the threat posed to personal and national security; the unplanned expenditure of millions of dollars by the company in civil works, repairs and service restoration; the diversion of materials and personnel from routine activities to address emergencies; and the loss of millions in revenues consequent upon the cessation of telecommunications traffic.

GT&T said this state of affairs is unacceptable and unsustainable. “And, insofar as network vandalism affects all of us, all of us must participate in this scourge. We have done everything in our power to protect the network and in the process we have received continued support from the Guyana Police Force. Now, we need the support of the Government, the regulatory agencies and the entire populace,” GT&T said in a statement yesterday.
“We are appealing to individuals and institutions to partner with us in the protection of the national telecommunications network. Observe what is happening in your neighbourhood or community; call us on 0908 to report suspicious activities directed at the network; in short, act as our eyes and ears,” GT&T urges.

“The network facilities that serve your home or business may be targeted next, so it cannot be wise to see something and not say something. It cannot be sufficient to simply press the company to expedite repairs and service restoration after the fact. Remember too that any information you share with us will be treated with the strictest confidence and that GT&T will offer a meaningful reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the apprehension of vandals and their prosecution,” the company stated.
• Below is a list of the incidents for the month of April 2015: