SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Almost five months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, some residents of western Jamaica continue to grapple with frequent missed or dropped calls and spotty Internet service as they impatiently await an end to ongoing infrastructure repairs.

“It’s hellish down here, and the rest of the country seems to have moved on with their lives… Because we aren’t burning the city it presents like we’re okay.. Meanwhile, we’re simply coping because we’ve acclimated to the post-storm conditions… Additionally, most people in these parts are ‘used to’ a somewhat outdated reality,” said one customer who asked not to be identified by name.

The client said there were issues with both Digicel and Flow mobile services, and using their data is proving to be especially problematic in her Farm Pen neighbourhood in Westmoreland.

“[Digicel] made a list of communities that are having issues… My area nor the town centre weren’t listed, yet my phone isn’t functioning at capacity in either. Flow hasn’t responded to my report from a week after light returned. I’ve made multiple follow-ups (at least four). They said, every time, they are aware of the report’s ticket numbers and will contact me in 24 hours… 24 hours never comes,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

When contacted by the Observer, Digicel explained that while ongoing recovery work is anticipated to be completed within the next two months, it remains heavily dependent on the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to restore poles and commercial power.

On Monday, Flow Jamaica said it would need more time to reply to questions submitted a week ago, however it was unable to provide a time frame in which the information would be provided.

Among those eager to see substantial progress made by the telecoms companies is taxi operator Mark Ellison who serves the Savanna-la-Mar to White House route in Westmoreland. He said since Hurricane Melissa struck, Flow has been the better service provider in terms of Internet data and coverage. The Belmont resident said while he is only able to receive Flow service outside of his house, Digicel does not work at all.

“The only time I will have a hitch [when using Flow] is when I reach Rockside… but Digicel frequently stop, stop. It will be okay here and then you have to drive another mile before it picks up again so, to me, Flow works better,” reasoned Ellison.

Another cabbie, Michael Samuels, who operates between his Negril neighbourhood and Savanna-la-Mar, also said he is fairly satisfied with the services he is receiving from Flow.

“So far, I have no problem with the mobile service but in some places the signal is weak — but we understand that is because of the satellite system [that is being used] due to the destruction of the fibre network that is used to link cell towers,” he said.

Sandra Alcock, a resident of Grange Hill who works as a toll gate operator at the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation’s Transportation Centre in Savanna-la-Mar, said she uses Digicel’s mobile service while her daughters have Flow’s mobile service as the service for both is hit or miss in their part of Westmoreland.

“It’s 50/50; 50 per cent on each of them. Sometime it’s up so good and the next time it’s all gone down. For Digicel, I buy a monthly credit of $4,000 and sometimes I lose a lot because the service is not up to how you want it to be,” explained Alcock.

“In Sav[anna-la-Mar] it’s not bad. I’m not going to tell you a lie because I can get to use it in Sav but further up, it’s bad; we’re not getting good service. But, as we say, we don’t know who to complain to so we just go on along,” she added.

Both she and Samuels complained about receiving big bills, but they have yet to see their Flow Fibre to the Home (FTH) service restored.

The Observer also spoke to three residents of Grange Hill, Westmoreland, who all indicated that while Digicel was average, Flow was worse. The three men asked not to be named.

Feedback on the quality of service in the parish of Hanover, except for the town of Hopewell, was similar to that provided about Grange Hill. A speed test conducted near a number of Flow’s cell towers provided an average download speed of one megabits per second (Mbps) during the day.

In sections of St James, many Digicel customers rely on data to make calls as those made with the phone often fail to go through. The company told the Observer the steps involved in its four-phase recovery process. Phase one is the assessment of damage and network operability while phase two involves recovery of basic connectivity, dependent on the method of transport available. For example, if fibre is not available then microwave or satellite services are utilised.

Digicel said it is now simultaneously engaged in the third and fourth phases.

Phase three involves the restoration of fibre-to-mobile sites, homes and businesses via the JPS pole infrastructure while phase four is the re-optimisation of the mobile network back to pre-hurricane levels. This involves climbing all 925 towers, initiating testing, and adjustments of the antennas.

“It is worth noting that these phases can run in conjunction with other phases as they can be interdependent,” stated Digicel Jamaica CEO Stephen Murad.

“Today we have five towers to be fully rebuilt, and the estimated date of completion is before the end of April 2026. The remaining 14 sites are awaiting the JPS pole infrastructure to be restored and the commercial power (to the [mobile] site) to also be restored,” revealed Murad.

“We still, at this point, have some sites using the satellite backhaul technology to act as the main transport mechanism [instead of fibre optic]. This does not give the same experience as an LTE traditional service experience, and at times can be congested [very slow] and not deliver the optimal experience,” he explained.

Speaking specifically about Westmoreland, Digicel also noted that while the Shafton cell site was restored on March 9, technicians are working on restoring Beeston Spring and Lennox Bigwoods in short order.

Taxi operator Mark Ellison, who serves the Savanna-la-Mar to White House route, scrolling through his phone in Savanna-la-Mar. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

Flow technicians run underground cables during Hurricane Melissa restoration activities in St Elizabeth.