The Barbados-based Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Tuesday said that the international satellite company, Eutelsat, is providing assistance to CBU members affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
The category 5 hurricane is is forecast to have catastrophic effects on Jamaica and cause significant damage to Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.
The CBU said that broadcast services in the path of the storm are expected to lose critical transmission infrastructure.
But the satellite service provider, which has partnered with the CBU for nearly a decade is offering no cost access to its satellite assets in the region.
Eutelsat will provide satellite capacity (C or Ku band) free of charge to help re-establish video transmissions once the monster storm passes. In addition, Eutelsat is on standby to support contacting regional satellite integrators to coordinate technical assistance.
‘The Eutelsat team which serves Latin America and the Caribbean has consistently proven its commitment to the region and its media services. This offer of assistance is a further demonstration of the Eutelsat philosophy of collaboration and support,’ said CBU President Anthony Greene.
SVP Media Americas from Eutelsat J. Ignacio González-Núñez, said, ‘at Eutelsat, we stand with our partners and colleagues across the Caribbean as they face the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.
‘In times like these, communication becomes a lifeline. Our priority today is to help restore communication and broadcasting services as quickly as possible,’ he added.