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CEO of the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) Cynthia Reddock-Downes said the likelihood of another nationwide internet disruption like what occurred on Monday is “low.”
Internet connectivity to several service providers was affected by the disruption of an international cable link via Curacao on Monday morning.
The issue was resolved within a few hours and connectivity restored by Monday afternoon.
Responding to Newsday via Whatsapp, Reddock-Downes said while the primary location of internet traffic was being repaired, the other became overwhelmed.
But, she said, “The primary location has been repaired and so there are now two further available channels for international internet traffic.”
Reddock-Downes said the authority, together with service providers, will “seek to ensure” that additional undersea cable systems are made available. “TATT will work with service providers to add further resilience measures using the existing infrastructure.”
Acting CEO of TSTT Lisa Agard said there are four subsea fibre-optic cable systems that transport the internet to TT.
“Some go via the Eastern Caribbean, some go direct,” she said.
She said because TSTT and by extension Amplia Communications have an ownership stake in two of the systems and lease capacity on the other two, its customers benefited from no internet disruptions to fixed lines.
“We did not go down at all…While mobile customers experienced congestion, it was because they were trying to engage in sessions on the mobile network because there was no alternative.”
She said the reason for acquiring or owning capacity in all four systems is to provide “route diversity” to customers.
“If something happens on one system, you can re-route (or) rebalance the traffic so there is no disruption.”
Agard said another breakdown, especially one that lasts longer than a few hours, “has the potential to be very disruptive.”
The government is currently rolling out information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives in several ministries, including Health and Education. Agard said, “A robust ICT infrastructure is a critical foundation layer upon which the government will have to build any type of (electronic) capacity. So whether it's delivery of health, tourism, or education, that first layer has to be strong.
"To the extent to which such a vulnerability exists, I think the government should be legitimately concerned about it.”
Many areas of business, including banks, and other businesses using point-of-sale machines, were affected by Monday’s disruption.
Some schools were reported to have had to abandon classes entirely because they were unable to access their virtual classrooms.
Technology journalist Mark Lyndersay said, “An Internet connection disruption is always going to be possible, and mitigating against it is a business challenge that demands multiple points of redundancy in broadband infrastructure.”
He said the government may need to think about internet connectivity as a “fundamental resource to the efficient functioning of the country” as opposed to a private-sector “business opportunity.”
He added, “That kind of thinking would do much to address the problems with connections in less densely populated parts of Trinidad and Tobago and more effectively wire the nation for productivity.”
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