Hispasat deploys 55 satellites to support hurricane-hit Jamaica

According to the Spanish satellite operator, the move is part of its ongoing commitment to assisting Caribbean nations in restoring essential connectivity in the aftermath of natural disasters.

As a result, Hispasat will offer six months of free connectivity across 40 fixed sites and 15 portable locations.

In partnership with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, the company will also deploy a team of experts to Jamaica to perform the initial installations and train local technicians to continue the work.

“In disaster scenarios such as this, satellite technology is a key tool for accelerating the restoration of communications,” the company stated, as it was revealed by the end of October, over 530,000 Jamaicans were without power and mobile and internet services were badly affected.

Additionally, over 500 mobile sites were down, seven were destroyed, and only 15–22% of homes still had Internet access.

“Our presence in the region and the capacity of our satellites are a valuable aid in improving the restoration of communications in the event of disasters of this type,” CEO of Hispasat, Miguel Ángel Panduro, said.

“We are proud to announce that Hispasat will be collaborating with the Jamaican government to mitigate the effects of Hurricane Melissa.”

Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica: Télécoms Sans Frontières races to restore communications