PNP Calls for Better Protection of Jamaica’s Telecoms Infrastructure

Opposition Spokesman on Technology, Dr. Andre Haughton, is calling for stronger protection for Jamaica’s telecommunications infrastructure.

This in the wake of an attack on the fibre cable network of telecoms providers Digicel and Flow.

The attack by vandals led to multiple major fibre breaks and a disruption of service to tens of thousands of customers.

Following the attack, portfolio minister, Daryl Vaz, said draft legislation to protect against vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure was now before the attorney general’s chambers.

In a statement on Monday, Dr. Haughton called on the government to establish a special task force for telecom security.

He says the task force should hold the power of implementing stronger security measures to prevent vandalism and improve emergency response times for infrastructure repairs.

Dr. Haughton also called for greater accountability on the national broadband network. He wants the government to implement harsher penalties for cable theft and vandalism.