The announcement in Tuesday’s paper that TelEm Group would carry out an overnight four-hour shutdown sparked quite some reaction. People were worried about their possible inability to communicate during that time, especially as it was said that all mobile voice and data traffic as well as Internet and landlines would suffer outages.
Moreover, emergency services, but also St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and the Government Administration Building, were to be affected too. The Fire Department at one point even issued a release with a temporary number that was later recalled after learning that the operation had been postponed.
It was in fact halted (see related story) by Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) because the government-owned company “did not adhere to proper reporting procedures,” as the message was relayed to the public “on very short notice.” The expected impact on the Police Force, Ambulance Service and Fire Department meant BTP “had no other choice,” while there was reportedly also concern among local banks.
TelEm agreed to delay the shutdown until Thursday and was instructed to ensure critical agencies either remain accessible or are provided with alternative connectivity. The company made its own statement explaining that the shutdown would not have been complete but step-by-step and it merely regarded a maximum four-hour maintenance window, which doesn’t mean everyone lacking service for so long.
The process will now be done with a different technique per section that requires less service interruption time. The intention is also to better coordinate matters with some of the country’s vital institutions to minimise adverse effects.
Management should in any case not consider this some type of defeat, but rather valuable experience for planning such far-reaching technical work in the future. Setbacks will always occur, but important is to overcome and learn from them.
