Since last week, internet service for the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority has experienced intermittent outages and has been slower than usual
This has caused a lot of frustration among customers who have resorted to social media to express their dissatisfaction.
Emails sent to the Interim CEO of ASTCA, Puleleiite Tufele Liamatua Jr. over the weekend seeking an explanation have not been answered.
Varying explanations that customers have been given range from equipment failure to we’re trying to locate the problem and will get back to you, to one of our satellites is down.
Reliable sources have said that the outages are related to one of the satellite dishes for the O3B network being down.
Meanwhile ASTCA management held a retreat at the Tradewinds Hotel last Thursday to Saturday involving the Interim CEO and selected managers of the telecommunications agency and some of the contractors.
The retreat participants checked in on Thursday and spent two nights at the hotel for their leadership retreat with meals and refreshments all covered.
The retreat has caused grumbling among staff who have been working 70 instead of 80 hours per pay period since April 10.
ASTCA is also spending for renovations of offices for some of the “management team” including former BlueSky employees who were hired by Puleleiite, as contractors.
Along with Puleleiite on the fourth floor of the ASTCA building are offices for Chief Financial Officer Fala Sualevai, Chief Operating Officer Faasala Augafa, and Chuck Leota whose company Tekconnect, is handling marketing and sales for ASTCA.
In other developments, a few former employees who had tested positive for drugs have been rehired, including the son of a strong supporter of the Lolo Lemanu camp.
Another cause of grumbling is the rehiring of the son of a senator, who had resigned from ASTCA and moved to another government agency, where he was found to have removed property, but was never charged.
