Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

An overload triggered by eager customers trying to capitalise on a discount programme which offered bonus call credit on the weekend caused Digicel Jamaica's computerised credit network to collapse.

The crash resulted in many customers being unable to add credit to their phones on the Easter weekend.

David Hall, Digicel's chief executive officer, told The Gleaner yesterday that the company was working to correct the problem that began late last week by upgrading the capacity of the system.

Hall said the problem would have been corrected yesterday evening. He, however, pointed out that customers could still add credit using the electronic top-up methods, such as Web Flex and Direct Flex.

Callers to The Gleaner's newsroom yesterday complained of not being able to add credit to their phones during the Easter holiday.

One woman was also livid that the malfunction occurred at the time when the cellular service provider was offering the $50 bonus-credit promotion.

"From Friday night me a try to add credit to me phone and it not going on," she complained. "Now me can't call nobody."

To compensate customers for the inconvenience, Hall said Digicel would announce another bonus-credit promotion this week.

"We will make an announcement of an additional little bonus to make up to our customers," said the Digicel CEO.