Hawaiian Telcom said in a statement Friday it has restored service to more than 1,000 customers in the Puna District over the past two days, bringing the total number of customers out of service to about 500. Hawaiian Telcom said
Hawaiian Telcom said in a statement Friday it has restored service to more than 1,000 customers in the Puna District over the past two days, bringing the total number of customers out of service to about 500.
Immediately after the storm, Hawaiian Telcom crews assisted the power company and county crews with clearing away trees, debris and about 250 fallen utility poles. Hawaiian Telcom’s repair work could not be done concurrently with HELCO’s and could begin only after utility poles were replaced and HELCO’s work was complete. Now at that stage, the company is able to bring customers back on line quickly.
Hawaiian Telcom is currently providing free wi-fi service at the Hawaiian Paradise Park Activity Center and the Pahoa Community Center. Hours of operation at both locations are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To take advantage of the free wi-fi, consumers should bring their own wireless devices, such as laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.
