September 14, 2004
Vitality
of communications
maintained in Cuba in spite of Ivan
Translated for CubaNews by Ana Portela
Havana (AIN) The Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA) maintained its
national and international communications in spite of hurricane Ivan whose
strong winds were one of the main threats.
Carlos Manuel Céspedes, director of the ETECSA Business Network Unit, explained to the digital version of Radio Havana Cuba that, among the measures adopted to confront the hurricane, was to lower the parabolas of the communications towers to prevent an increased resistance to the winds.
Another alternative solution used in the eastern provinces of the island was to use underground routes, such as the national optic fiber in the places where it was already installed and the old coaxial cable that maintained connections with the different localities.
Added to this – Céspedes said– was the use of cisterns of satellite links with very small antennas that permit voice, data and low speed image video transmission services to connect other territories with the capital.
He explained that one of the initiatives that contributed to the vitality of the communication cistern to maintain the public informed was the use of service 113 in coordination with the Cuban Radio and Television Institute.
This was done to broadcast news on the passing of hurricane Ivan and the measures taken by the Civil Defense, he pointed out.
Céspedes added that the country maintains complete function of international communications with the use of land stations in the Havana localities of Jaruco and Cojimar.
Consequently services with the countries usually connected to the Island are completely available, he stressed.
There is an avalanche of traffic to learn of the meteorological situation in Cuba he explained.
In
reference to the state of communications with Caribbean nations hit by hurricane
Ivan, the official of ETECSA informed that they have had to adopt measures to
protect their cisterns and, in some cases, damages have been reported.
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