Tableland cries out for cable TV

THE EDITOR: I am writing in concern about the non-availability of cable service to Tableland, Princes Town. I am hoping that the Chief Operating Officer would take the opportunity to address this as a matter of urgency. It has been approximately ten years since the services of cable TV came to Princes Town. Back then the company was known as A J Cable. Since then it has evolved to CCTT and since 1995, the villagers of Tableland have been trying to get cable services into our area and nothing has been done, with no assurance to the community from CCTT.

Recently, in 2003 CCTT did some work in the vicinity of New Grant, Princes Town, which is barely a five minutes drive from Tableland. One of the excuses that is popping up on this issue is that the area between North Trace North Road, Tableland, and George Village, Tableland, (approximately 1.4 km) may not be beneficial to them seeing that it is not residentially occupied for the time being. It’s unfortunate that they did not have this approach when they had to run lines along the Solomon Hochoy for miles with little or no settlement visible all the way from Grand Bazaar in order to get to Chaguanas.

One time I called in to settle the matter with CCTT directly and I was told that there are other areas higher on their priority list at that time and it would be a long time before we are provided with any service from them. As much as I understand the only thing that makes Tableland different from any other populated area in Trinidad and Tobago is that it may be one of the only few areas that is still waiting on cable TV service and has been doing so for the last ten years. Areas such as Mantacol Road, Robert Village, Gafool Trace, George Village are just some of the areas that are in need of cable TV services. I am clueless, as to what on earth could CCTT lose by providing Tableland with cable TV?

The residents of Tableland are fed up of waiting on CCTT and it is an embarrassment to the community and an insult to the quality of living of residents of the area to be denied what is now a basic necessity in modern times where technological communication is so prevalent and continuously evolving. It is unfair to be providing a service to the wide public of Trinidad and omitting areas that are in need of it. It is discrimination of a geographical nature and I am sure that Tableland is not the only area that is experiencing this unfair treatment.

I thank the Lord that other companies such as TSTT and TTEC did not utilise the same procedures as CCTT is using in providing residents and communities with its services, God alone knows where the country would be right now. I hope that something can be done to help residents of Tableland get rid of this injustice that should not exist in today’s modern society and I hope that other communities in the same situation may not have to wait an entire decade like the people of Tableland, for a simple service such as cable TV.

WILLIAM WHEATON
Tableland