'We can't take anymore poor service' from VI telecom providers- resident
Meanwhile, their mobile services were approximately 90 percent pre-Irma capacity on the sister islands of Anegada and Virgin Gorda, while rebuilding of the network continues on Jost van Dyke and will improve once the power supply has been stabilised.
"Fixed line and broadband reconnections are now available in select areas at this time. These areas are Road Town, Road Reef, Tobacco Wharf, Pasea Estate, Purcell Estate, Huntums Ghut, Macnamara, Lower Estate, as well as Virgin Gorda and growing," according to the press release.
Reality on the ground: Residents still not pleased
Our newsroom took to the streets to find out from Flow customers what were their experience before and after Irma with the service.
Speaking with a group of Flow customers, one young lady said since hurricane Irma, she has been experiencing interruptions with her mobile service.
"The signal would go in and out. Sometimes there are no bars on my phone. To get proper signal I would have to go to certain places in my house," said the young lady.
"Service should be fast like Usain Bolt" - Sarah D. Williams
Sarah D. Williams, a customer with Flow for at least two years, admitted that she gets by with the internet service from Flow but states that it could be better:
"The services that we have here should be fast like Usain Bolt but all we have is a service that is slow as a snail and makes our work just harder."
"We can't take no more poor service" - resident
"I hear the government say they considering other service providers but if they actually get them, they need to make sure they better than what is here now. We can't take no more poor service. I've had my ups and downs with them at Flow, especially since the hurricane," expressed another resident who wished to remain anonymous.
"I'm fed up with them all" - Mark D. Huggins
Our news reporter was told by Mark D. Huggins, resident and Flow customer, that he is fed up with the services on island overall, adding that he has been a customer for all of them at some point.
"I'm fed up with them all. They were worse before hurricane Irma and Maria, you can just imagine them now. The government needs to step in and do something, anything about them," emphasised Mr Huggings.
Most expensive & underperforming internet services worldwide
In was in November 2017 that an international report that listed the Virgin Islands as having one of the most expensive and “underperforming” internet services worldwide.
Even Opposition Member Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) had said the report could not be refuted and was shameful.
According to a November 21, 2017 press release by Cable.co.uk, a broadband, TV and phone comparator, unique news source and consumer champion, over 3,351 broadband packages were recorded and analysed by BDRC Continental and Cable.co.uk between August 18 and October 12, 2017. It said the study of broadband pricing in 196 countries reveals vast global disparities in the cost of getting online.
The study found that Saint-Martin offers the cheapest broadband in the Caribbean, with an average package price of USD 20.72 per month, with the [British] Virgin Islands (USD 146.05), Antigua and Barbuda (USD 153.78), Cayman Islands (USD 175.27) and Haiti (224.19) at the most expensive end both regionally and globally.
In North America, Canada offers the cheapest broadband on average (USD 54.92), coming in 21 positions ahead of the United States globally (USD 66.17).
Meanwhile, in a previous study, the Virgin Islands was among 139 countries that failed to achieve average speeds above 10Mbps, a speed deemed by telecoms watchdog Ofcom to be the minimum required to cope with the needs of a typical family or small business.
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19 Responses to “'We can't take anymore poor service' from VI telecom providers- resident”
I live in town and I cant even load a website page.
But they still send out monthly bills. For what i don't know. Since The hurrricanes it have tons of cabbles all over on the road side. But they don't.care.
And they better do something with the cabble wire that is hanging on my house and shop.
When will Dr Smith reshuffle his cabinet?
BVI has been boasting about advancement but this is a technological age my friend. Try running an IPTV on these sorts of speed.
Virgin Islanders has suffered too much! Back when Cable & Wireless was dominating(no we haven't forgot) we paid huge telephone bills..i mean huge telephone bills...and i was a teenager then.
Digecil can do much better here in the BVI and i do hope that they get their act together soooon because i do use their service in other parts of the Caribbean and their speed is way above 10Mbps.