On a busy highway bridge over San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cars pulled to the side of the road. Their occupants emerged clutching cellphones in search of one of the rarest finds on the island: a working mobile network. A week after Hurricane Maria came ashore as the most powerful storm to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, knocking out its electric grid, 90.9 percent of cell phone sites on the island remain out of commission, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. For miles, cell phones deliver one frustrating message: “No Service.” The search for the elusive sliver of places now capable of providing a signal has become a frantic treasure hunt. Across this U.S. territory, motorists desperate to communicate are herding on the sides of highways, bridges and exit ramps, hoping that their cell phones will come back to life. Stephanie Trigo, 28, was among those leaning against the concrete barrier of the Highway 17 bridge on Wednesday. “At least now we’re getting service in some places. At night, when we’re home, we have no means of communication,” she said. Suddenly, Trigo’s phone rang. “I have a call!” she cried and answered it. At another location outside San Juan, people approached a cell tower with handsets extended, hoping to see bars appear on their phones. Such scenes attract other motorists to stop to see if they might get lucky. “Everywhere that I see people parked, I figure they have a signal,” said Jose Alduende, 74, from the Highway 17 bridge. The outage in Puerto Rico is far worse than those of two other hurricanes that came ashore in Texas and Florida in the past month. Cell service in those two states was almost completely restored in storm-affected areas a week after hurricanes Harvey and Irma made landfall. In the few San Juan hotels with working cell service and Wifi, adults have broken down in tears upon making their first communication with the outside world. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino has become a particular oasis in the telecom desert. On Wednesday, Puerto Ricans and tourists crammed the hotel’s lobby, clustered around power outlets bristling with adapters and extension cables, making calls or tapping away at phones and computers to stay connected. “We have lost all telecoms,” Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told cable news channel CNN on Wednesday. Puerto Ricans are heavily dependent on cell phones, a prominent source of internet access on the island, which has a cell phone penetration rate of nearly 100 percent, government data showed. There are five main mobile service providers in the territory’s vibrant market: AT&T, T-Mobile, Claro, Sprint and Open Mobile. Funny-Puerto Ricans In Highways In Search For Mobile Signals By Unknown Thursday, September 28, 2017 Share Tweet Share Share Email On a busy highway bridge over San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cars pulled to the side of the road. Their occupants emerged clutching cellphones in search of one of the rarest finds on the island: a working mobile network. A week after Hurricane Maria came ashore as the most powerful storm to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, knocking out its electric grid, 90.9 percent of cell phone sites on the island remain out of commission, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. For miles, cell phones deliver one frustrating message: “No Service.” The search for the elusive sliver of places now capable of providing a signal has become a frantic treasure hunt. Across this U.S. territory, motorists desperate to communicate are herding on the sides of highways, bridges and exit ramps, hoping that their cell phones will come back to life. Stephanie Trigo, 28, was among those leaning against the concrete barrier of the Highway 17 bridge on Wednesday. “At least now we’re getting service in some places. At night, when we’re home, we have no means of communication,” she said. Suddenly, Trigo’s phone rang. “I have a call!” she cried and answered it. At another location outside San Juan, people approached a cell tower with handsets extended, hoping to see bars appear on their phones. Such scenes attract other motorists to stop to see if they might get lucky. “Everywhere that I see people parked, I figure they have a signal,” said Jose Alduende, 74, from the Highway 17 bridge. The outage in Puerto Rico is far worse than those of two other hurricanes that came ashore in Texas and Florida in the past month. Cell service in those two states was almost completely restored in storm-affected areas a week after hurricanes Harvey and Irma made landfall. In the few San Juan hotels with working cell service and Wifi, adults have broken down in tears upon making their first communication with the outside world. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino has become a particular oasis in the telecom desert. On Wednesday, Puerto Ricans and tourists crammed the hotel’s lobby, clustered around power outlets bristling with adapters and extension cables, making calls or tapping away at phones and computers to stay connected. “We have lost all telecoms,” Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told cable news channel CNN on Wednesday. Puerto Ricans are heavily dependent on cell phones, a prominent source of internet access on the island, which has a cell phone penetration rate of nearly 100 percent, government data showed. There are five main mobile service providers in the territory’s vibrant market: AT&T, T-Mobile, Claro, Sprint and Open Mobile. No comments Comment Here
