Re: Caribbean Internet Services? (yes!)

[Vincent Cate <vince@offshore.com.ai>]

> Perry E. Metzger
> Timothy C. May writes:
> > Power in St. Thomas may not be back for a year in some parts. The roads,
> > sewers, power lines, phone system, etc. will likely have to be completely
> > rebuilt.
> [...]
> > I suspect "Caribbean Data Havens" and "Internet Sites" are further off than
> > they were a few months ago.
> 
> Not really. I suspect that phone company co-location and using buried
> lines and your own generator would probably fix most problems if you
> were "serious" about doing such a thing.

We are not so bad off down here.  Anguilla took a direct hit from Luis. 
Some of us have had to move computers into town for a week or two, but
that is really it.  Also, it has meant a couple weeks where we did not get
as much done, but not months of setback.  There is power and phone in
town, cell phones work (give me a ring at (809) 497-7255), generators are
not that expensive (like $600 for 5 kw). 

The utility polls have almost all been straightened or replaced already (2
weeks).  The high-tension lines have already been strung to many places
(like near my house).  Anguilla should be rewired within another 6 weeks
(we had the HMS South Hampton here for the last 2 weeks and now have 100
Royal Engineers helping out). 

Nobody was killed here.  We all have our own cisterns so we have water,
just bucket powered.  The places that were hit hard were poor areas that
some of the islands have, and people on boats.  Also, some other islands
will have water problems (not Anguilla).

   --  Vince Cate
       From Anguilla - A tax-haven in the Caribbean
                  (or as they like to say, a "Zero tax jurisdiction")
       http://www.offshore.com.ai/anguilla
       http://www.aibs.com.ai/