(TCSI): Our Telekom is leading the way among service providers in responding to a potential corona virus (COVID 19) outbreak in Solomon Islands through corporate and national response measures.

On the national front, Our Telekom is assisting the Ministry of Health’s Honiara Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) by providing much needed telecommunications support to the Centre.

The company has provided a toll free, short code line to the HEOC that allows callers to seek advice and help from the medical center in relation to the corona virus and has also provided high speed internet access to staff at the center.

Additionally, the company has donated smart phones to the Communications Division which acts as the point of contact for the recently activated Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.

The telecommunications cluster reports directly to the Infrastructure National Disaster Operations Committee and is made up of industry players such as the sector’s regulator TCSI, Government representatives such as the Communications Division and the SIG-ICT Support Unit and telecommunications service providers.

The Prime Minister’s Office has also received support from the local telecommunications giant, allowing the Prime Minister’s weekly national addresses to be broadcasted free to air.

Away at Solomon Islands border area at Shortland Islands and Choiseul, the company is looking at ways of improving mobile phone coverage to assist the police and other first respondents in the area maintain the recently declared emergency zone there.

Our Telekom was also one of the first local companies to put in place social distancing measures at its Honiara and provincial phone shops and branches and was the first local telecommunications service providers to offer health advice and factsheets on the corona virus through its official website.

Meanwhile, Our Telekom continues to provide much needed phone and internet services to its customers despite a national scale down of the company’s personnel.