Interior

Phone woes in Ngöbe lands

Alicia Vásquez, a resident of the Comarca Ngöbe Buglé, complained that public phones in the area haven’t worked for more than two years.

It is the only way we can communicate and receive calls, she added.

Santos Martínez, who owns a small shop in the community of El Peñon, reported that the phones have a dual function, since used to make calls, but also receive calls if someone wants to locate someone in the rural district.

Many people walk more than a kilometer to be able to communicate via cell phones, which is the only alternative they have, Martínez said.

La Prensa sought information from Cable & Wireless regarding this issue, but did not receive a response.

Officials of the Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos invited people to discuss the situation, since it is the entity’s responsibility to ensure telephone services.