A Brightening Dawn
It’s been a tough start to 2021, with surging Covid-19 numbers and new strains putting serious pressure on our health system and our safety. Here in Ireland, we’re in Level 5 lockdown, and likely to stay that way for some time to come.
My family isn’t immune; all five of us contracted Covid-19 in early January, but we were very fortunate to get diagnosed early and recover well. Isolating together when everybody’s sick is tricky, of course, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that we were able to spend time together as a family. In wintry Carlow, this meant watching movies together, eating warm, nourishing suppers and taking gentle exercise in our frosty garden.
My own diagnosis felt like something of a culmination of a challenging but dynamic year. Our industry is experiencing unprecedented demand, with some telecoms operators reporting a 50% increase in traffic volumes. Whether we’re dialling into virtual classrooms, meeting rooms or family get-togethers, telecommunications play an ever more vital role in all our lives. This translates into a busy time for Delmec, with telecommunications network expansion, as well as regular operations and ongoing maintenance, which continued at pace throughout the Pandemic.
Our incredible team adapted quickly during this time, unfazed by their rapidly-evolving working environment, whether in our HQ in Carlow or our offices in Africa, Asia or Europe. I’m thankful that we prioritised online IT access prior to Covid-19, as this became our saving grace, allowing us to work seamlessly across international borders and provide uninterrupted services and solutions to our clients. In particular, our mobile TiMs app facilitated access to our system from anywhere in the world, helping our clients and partners keep their essential services online.
My recovery at home allowed me some time for reflection, and I’ve been thinking much about the old adage about the darkest hour coming just before the dawn. 2021 has already dealt us a few blows, but we’re now just weeks away from spring, bringing with it longer days, warmer weather and, hopefully, increased access to life-saving vaccines.
Our work at Delmec continues unabated, but for now, we’re hunkering down as a country and a company, working hard to keep our colleagues safe and our communities connected. It really does feel that those dark hours are coming to an end, and a bright new day beckons at last.
