Telecom sends Aitutaki help

Five Telecom staff from Rarotonga, including Chief Technology Officer Robert McFadzien and Cellular Manager Donald Munro have been in Aitutaki for a number days to assess damage and to make the necessary repairs.
The Takapora Mast next to the Hospital was extensively damaged. The mast will need to be replaced but an interim solution is to erect a temporary mast and this should be completed today.
The main satellite and internet dishes are undamaged but will need to be realigned.
Two generators are being flown to Aitutaki; one to replenish the flat batteries in the two cabinets that service the Airport and the Ootu area and the other to power the Maunga Pu cellsite. This will then result in cellular coverage returning to near to normal.
Most businesses have had their phone connections restored and key residential phones such as the village mayors are the next priority. Technicians will then start checking the cables to damaged residents around the island. The lack of power is still a huge issue.
Internet service is still available, but customers may be restricted if they don’t have power to their computers.
The hurricane centre has been set up with two phone lines via the internet and, using laptops, are able to contact Rarotonga. Also installed are 3 temporary normal landlines set up for outside calls. There are 20 lines operational in and out of Aitutaki and the lines are congested, so we advise the public to get make only essential calls and if you can’t get through to be patient and try again later.
­-Telecom Media Release