Telecom launches 2-year project to bring you better connections
Signed up to the Telecom Cook Islands broadband Internet service at home and things not working as you expected? Ed Utanga and his team could have the solution coming your way.
Utanga is project coordinator with responsibility for a two-year-long cable and pillar rehabilitation programme which Telecom Cook Islands recently launched.
In simple language he has a team now working fulltime checking and fixing the way Telecom’s cables go into homes and other buildings.
Telecom Cook Islands marketing manager Keren Aviu said: “This is in an effort to bring down the number of faults created by the pillars in addition to updating our cable records.”
She said some faults are being caused by rust and dirty pillars, where lids have disappeared allowing water to seep in. 
The stepped up maintenance programme will help with improved delivery of services such as broadband Internet, she said. 
An update of the cable records will allow forward planning in areas where customer connection times are affected by the availability of cable pairs (lines).
Utanga said many of the complaints Telecom Cook Islands has been getting have been found to be cable related.
Hence the setting up of the cable and pillar rehabilitation programme and the team now working on it fulltime.
AROA OPENING
# Meanwhile Prime Minister Jim Marurai is expected to Tuesday 5 December officially open the $270,000 inland Aroa emergency satellite earth station Telecom Cook Islands has set up.
This is as a backup to maintain communication with the world in case cyclone or tsunami damage put the main links at Parekura out of action. 
Other Telecom Cook Islands facilities at Aroa have also been resited inland from the main road location because of the risk from sea surges during a cyclone. This has been done at a cost of $170,000.
Chief executive Stuart Davies said Telecom was fully insured for the equipment and loss of profits.
But it recognised that if it did get wiped out, equipment replacement would take at least three months and during that time telephone customers service would be affected. 
Both these investments have been made by Telecom Cook Islands in the national interest and to be in place for the current cyclone season, Davies said.
It followed the cyclones which hit the Cook Islands last cyclone season and the big seas they generated.

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