Leading telecommunications providers, Flow Jamaica and Digicel Jamaica, both condemned what they called ‘targeted vandalism’ that disrupted internet, landline and TV services across several sections of the island on Election Day (September 3).

Flow, in a statement, explained that its technical teams identified damaged fibre optic cables in the vicinity of Mandela Highway in St Catherine. The company mobilised repairs well into the night after the protective concrete slabs and sealed manholes were breached.

“The company is also condemning the timing of the act which took place in the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, September 3, as the nation awaits the outcome of the 2025 General Elections. We are committed to restoring services as swiftly as possible; however, based on the nature of the damage, ask for patience as our teams execute the necessary repairs. Flow continues to lament the significant challenges posed by ongoing vandalism and theft of its network infrastructure,” Flow disclosed.

Similarly, Digicel bemoaned the repeated acts of vandalism, adding that incidents at a critical time, such as the general election, “only inconvenience individuals and businesses but also undermine economic activity and public safety”.

“Our engineers and technical teams are working continuously to restore services as quickly and safely as possible. At the same time, we are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities to ensure those responsible are identified and prosecuted. We apologise to our customers for this disruption and thank you for your patience. Digicel remains committed to restoring service in the shortest possible time and to keeping Jamaica connected,” the company continued.