Utilities and telecommunication companies, key players to keep the world running during the COVID-19 era

Until recently, turning on the light, opening the water tap, or surfing the internet seemed like simple actions that were easily taken for granted in our daily lives. Today, amid an emergency generated by COVID-19, the role of service providers and telecommunications takes on a different meaning. Companies in these sectors are crucially important in maintaining the economic and social stability of our countries.

At the end of 2019, when news of a dangerous virus called COVID-19 appeared in China, many of us viewed it as something distant. Months later, the effects generated by this virus have not only become an everyday topic but have also transformed everyone’s lives around the world. The measures are clear: to reduce the curve of infection, we must stay at home. But what would our lives be like if our homes did not have water, power, internet, television, and mobile services? Without service providers, we would be facing critical health, social and economic emergencies.

The work of water and sewerage companies is of vital importance to our health, as they supply drinking water to our homes. Gas companies give us the ability to heat our homes during the winter. Energy and telecommunication companies have helped to keep the economy afloat. Thanks to their services, people around the world have turned their houses into offices, giving us the ability to continue developing business models, market structures, and business opportunities. These companies have allowed us to learn more about the situation at hand while giving us access to entertainment. Most importantly, because of these companies, we have been able to virtually maintain social contact despite the isolation, which undoubtedly supports our mental health.

At Open, we are proud to work to support utility and telecommunication companies in ensuring the continuity of their operations and the provision of their services. In these challenging times, our professional services team is working with our clients to adapt their operations, given the new regulations that governments and health bodies are requiring. In some regions, governments are asking that companies massively reconnect households that had suspended water services. Others are focusing on maintaining energy services, giving priority to protecting health facilities and personnel who address emergency-related situations. The Open team continues to work together with these companies to react agilely to these new circumstances for the social well-being of millions of people in the United States and Latin America.