PREPA Networks, LLC 

Why PREPA Networks, LLC needed a cloud services solution

The island of Puerto Rico ran the risk of being cut off during natural disasters as they didn’t have reliable fiber infrastructure.

PREPA Networks, LLC, a telecommunications provider in the Caribbean, has been delivering services to the region for 15 years. They’re driven to help their customers, and their island home, find and develop new services to grow their economy.

To enable economic devolvement, not only in Puerto Rico but the entire region, they required a facility that would act as a hub for all high-speed networks across the island. The telecommunications provider invested in the latest technologies, including offering OneCloud facilities and fiber optic infrastructures. Their goal was to make Puerto Rico a hub for technology in the region, attracting and motivating international businesses to invest.

As Puerto Rico is located firmly in a hurricane hotspot, any infrastructure had to be robust enough to weather the worst storms. This was highlighted when Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017 causing wide-spread devastation.

The construction of PREPA Network’s Hub 787 proved to be a vital lifeline for the island, as it remained operational. This was crucial, considering the national power authority operates from their data center – if the hub went down, recovery operations would have taken longer.

What staying connected meant for rebuilding a nation

The ability to stay connected, even during a category 5 storm like Maria, is vital. Efforts to rebuild and recover from the storm depended on teams being able to coordinate rescue efforts.

Hub 787 stood firm, withstanding one of the worst hurricanes to hit the region. It continued to operate, keeping the people of Puerto Rico connected to each other, and to the rest of the world. When the storm knocked out the mains power on the island, the generators kicked in and were able to run for 42 days straight.

The building’s infrastructure was so reliable and robust it acted as a stronghold for the community. People came to the facility to charge their devices and connect to family and friends. Teams on the ground were able to efficiently coordinate rescue efforts, thanks to the ability to connect and communicate with each other.

This helped the people of Puerto Rico to rebuild. Hub 787’s robust infrastructure was not only key to reconstruction efforts, but it’s helped cement PREPA Networks’ position as a leader in technology in the Caribbean. The OneCloud platform has been designed to grow and evolve, ensuring that the region’s businesses have the opportunity to expand.