THE Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is awaiting a full report from telecommunications firms Digicel and Flow Jamaica regarding the massive disruption in their services on Tuesday.

Deputy director general of the OUR Chery Lewis on Thursday told Jamaica Observer editors and reporters that the regulatory agency has been formally “notified” and is “awaiting the detailed report”.

In a joint statement on Tuesday Flow and Digicel condemned what they said was an act of network vandalism which resulted in their fibre cables being intentionally cut in the early hours of the morning.

The incident impacted both residential and business services for thousands of Digicel and Flow Jamaica customers.

That prompted a swift response from minister with responsibility for telecommunications Daryl Vaz, who said draft legislation to protect against vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure is now at the attorney general’s chambers.

According to Vaz, the legislation is intended to be a deterrent for people who are creating a business from the theft of fibre cables.

In their Tuesday afternoon release the two companies said their technical teams worked assiduously to rectify the damage and had fully restored services before the end of the day.

The companies appealed for the public’s support as they pointed out that the attacks levied on their critical infrastructure by vandals not only disrupts their operations, but impacts the productivity, safety, and functioning of the broader community that depends on these services.

“As a nation, we have come to a critical juncture where we must work collaboratively to defend our country and its citizens from senseless acts such as this. As critical stakeholders in Jamaica’s growth, we continue to invest in our network to ensure readiness for the future and we urge members of the public and other players to join hands with us to address this issue which only proves counterproductive in today’s digital age.

“We thank our customers for their loyalty and pledge our continued commitment to providing modern and efficient telecommunication services of the highest standards,” said Stephen Price, vice-president and general manager of Flow Jamaica.

In the meantime, Stephen Murad, CEO of Digicel, said he was deeply disturbed by the vandalism which led to a disruption in its services.

“Such actions are reckless and harmful to nation-building, affecting both Digicel and Flow customers across the country. These destructive acts threaten our society and shared future. Digicel strongly condemns any form of vandalism aimed at destabilising our infrastructure,” said Murad.

“We stand united in our goal to build a more connected and prosperous future for all Jamaicans. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our customers for not only their patience but also their continued support during this time. Your resilience and commitment are integral to the progress of our nation, and together, we continue to build a stronger, more connected Jamaica,” Murad added.