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 The infrastructure systems within the U.S.V.I are some of the
best in the Caribbean. Roads are paved. Mail Service is provided
by the federal postal system. Internet service and utilities are
good. Banks are found throughout the islands. Police and fire
fighting teams are available.
To learn
more about a specific infrastructure
system please choose from the table below or
scroll down this page to read about all of them.
Government: The U.S.V.I
are an American territory governed by US laws. The constitution
used by the territory is the 1954 Revised Organic Act of the
Virgin Islands, amended in 1968-1972. The United States president,
George W. Bush is head of state. A locally elected governor and
legislature administer the islands. The present Governor is
John P. deJongh, Jr.
Communication: The U.S.V.I
have a state of the art communication system provided by
Innovative Communication. This is a privately owned company that
provides communication to all four islands. All calls within the
Virgin Islands are toll free. Tolls are charged only when calling
outside the U.S.V.I. There is no limit on the amount of free
intra–island calls. Long distance providers are several; ATT,
Sprint Caribe, Primus, Innovative, TLD of the Virgin Islands.
Cellular service is also available and is provided by Sprint,
Cingular Wireless, Centennial and Innovative Communication.
Internet Service:
There are two basic types of Internet service in
the U.S.V.I: dial up and broadband (high-speed).
Dial Up is offered by the following local Internet Service
providers: Ackley Communications/surfVI, Choice Communications/VIAccess
and
VIPowernet. Off-island providers include: Pennswoods.net, AOL and
MSN. Costs range from $13.96 to $19.96. A modem will connect at 56
kilobits per second, but your speeds may vary, depending on the
quality of your phone line and your service provider's network.
Broadband is provided via one of two delivery methods: wireless
and wire-line (copper). Wireless is delivered by a small (usually
1 foot by 1 foot) antenna mounted on your roof, which points to a
tower or servicing location. You must have line of sight in order
to get wireless broadband. Most broadband ISPs offer a free site
survey to determine eligibility for service. Wireless broadband is
offered by the following companies: Ackley Communications, Choice
and Comtek. Residential rates are between $45 and $99/month.
Business rates start at around $199. Speeds can vary from 192
kilobits per second to multi-megabit per second. Ackley
Communications offers guaranteed speeds (both upload and
download). Choice and Commtek offer "up to" rates- so you may get
slower or faster speeds, depending on their network at the time.
Choice offers a tie-in discount if you also subscribe to their
wireless cable TV (Antilles Wireless) service. One-time
installation fees range from $125-$495.
Wireline broadband is run over existing telephone lines. This
service is offered by VIPowerNet- the local telephone company.
Rates are around $79.99/month with an installation charge of
around $200.00. An additional phone line is required. Speeds are
not guaranteed, and can range from 20 kilobits per second to 1.5
Megabits per second. Both dial-up and wireline broadband are
dependent on the local telephone company's phone line
infrastructure. Sometimes, after heavy rains, the lines get
"soggy", and dial-up and wireline broadband service degrades or
quits working entirely.
(Note: Written by Elizabeth Ackley of Ackley
Communications.)
 Mail:
The United States Postal System provides mail service in the
U.S.V.I. Postal Rates are the same in the U.S.V.I as they are in
the mainland. It cost 39 cents to mail a standard letter to the
mainland from the U.S.V.I, 84 cents to mail to foreign addresses.
Several post offices are located on St. Thomas and St. Croix. St.
John also has a post office. Water Island uses St. Thomas’ postal
set up for its delivery. Additional courier services include; DHL
Worldwide Express, Federal Express and UPS.
Banks: Major banks are available on
St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix; including Citibank, Banco
Popular de Puerto Rico, The Bank of Nova Scotia, First Bank and
Virgin Islands Community Bank. Your ATM card
is the best bet to insure you have cash on hand during your move.
After you have settled you can look at your options and open an
account at one of these bank branches. Credit Cards are widely
accepted throughout the U.S.V.I.
Electricity: The Virgin Islands
Water and Power Authority (WAPA) produce and distribute
electricity for all four islands. Although the power utility is
maintained well, sporadic power outages do occur. It is a great
idea to have flashlights and candles on hand. It is highly
suggested you put all electronics
on surge protectors and computer equipment on battery pack/surge
protectors.
Gas: Many residents use gas powered
stoves for cooking. Gas is available from various companies
throughout the islands. Electric stoves are also common. Gas is
preferred because when the power is out, or after hurricanes gas
stoves can still be utilized.
Water: The Virgin Islands Water and
Power Authority only provides city water
in and around the main town. Very few areas have access to city
water. Cisterns are used to collect rainwater. A cistern is an
artificial reservoir, usually underground used to store water. The
water is collected on the roof of the home or in small gutters
around the roof, which then runs through pipes into the cistern. A
pump is used to transfer the water from the cistern to your pipes.
Water conservation is an important topic in the U.S.V.I, as
rainfall averages only 38 inches a year.
If your cistern should go low, you can buy a truck of water from
one of several water companies.
Waste Disposal: Throwing out
garbage is a matter of you taking it to the dumpster yourself.
There are large dumpsters at set locations around the islands and
it is your responsibility to properly bag and dispose of your own
garbage. Large items should be taken straight to the landfill and
not to the neighborhood dumpsters. Large businesses have private
haulers that come by and empty their private dumpsters. Recycling
is possible, not on a large scale though – ask about it when you
arrive on island.
Residents in the city have sewers for liquid waste. Everyone else
depends on septic systems.
 Roads: Roads on all islands are paved.
Roads are often steep and windy as the islands are a bit hilly in
nature. Some dirt roads exist to beaches or private undeveloped
properties. St. Thomas and St. Croix have highways. On St. Thomas
there is the Waterfront Highway, Harwood Highway and Weymouth
Rhymer Highway. On St. Croix there is the Queen Mary Highway and
Melvin Evans Highway. Highways in the U.S.V.I are not necessary
large multi lane roads as you find in the mainland. They might
just be bigger then the normal 2 lane road. The U.S.V.I does have
one highway on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix that consist of
4-lanes; all other roads are 2 lanes (one in each direction).
All public roads have signage with road numbers, speed limit,
directional signs like Stop, Yield, stoplights among others.
Stoplights can be found on St. Thomas and St. Croix. There are no
stoplights on St. John or Water Island.
Transportation: St. Thomas
and St. Croix have airports. Major airlines travel to and from
these two islands. St. Thomas and St. Croix are also connected by
commuter airlines and by water ferry. St. Thomas is connected to
Water Island and St. John by water ferry. A public bus system
called Vitran, operates on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
Taxi service is also available on these three islands. Water
Island has no public bus system. Most residents drive cars of some
sort or golf carts. Personal cars are the best bet for personal
transportation. Read more on
Transportation.
 Health Facilities:
Schneider Regional Medical Center is the umbrella entity for three
healthcare facilities that serve as one integrated health system
for St. Thomas and St. John: the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital
(St. Thomas), the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute (St.
Thomas), and The Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center (St.
John). Schneider Regional is one of the largest businesses in the
territory, employing over 500 employees and 70 physicians on
active staff with specialties ranging from cardiology, oncology,
neurology, ophthalmology, and orthopedics. The organization is
fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Healthcare
Organizations (JCAHO). For more information, visit them online at
http://www.srmedicalcenter.org or call (340) 776-8311. When
registering for services, be sure to bring your insurance card,
picture ID, and proof of mailing address (utility or telephone
bill).
On St. Croix there is the Juan Luis Hospital and Medical Center.
Visit them online at
http://www.jflusvi.org/.
Pets/Veterinarians: The
islands are a great place for your pets to come live with you.
However island life does create some new responsibilities or you,
the pet owner. The islands are warm and worms and ticks are a
problem. Insects like bees and centipedes as well as frogs can
make your pets sick. There are veterinarian offices available on
St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John for your pet’s health and
safety.
 Houses of Worship: There
are a varied and diverse number of churches and religious
congregations in the U.S.V.I. Ranging from Catholic and Methodist
to Baptist, Episcopal and Seventh Day Adventist. There are a
greater number of houses of worship on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
St. John also is home to a handful and Water Island will from time
to time have a non-denomination service on Honeymoon Beach for
residents who wish to attend.
Libraries: St. Thomas, St. John
and St. Croix have public libraries. St. Croix and St. Thomas have
a university library as well. All schools have school libraries.
Television: Local
television channels include Channel Eight, Channel Twelve and
Channel Two. Cable television service is available from St. Thomas/St. John Cable TV
and St. Croix
Cable TV. Wireless cable is available from Choice Communications. Cable TV makes
HBO, MTV, CBS and many of the familiar stations available. Some
people invest in satellite dishes.
Radio: FM and AM stations are numerous
on all four islands. Local radio stations include WAVI, WJKC, WSTA,
WVWI and WVGN. Broadcast from the mainland are often provided via
one or more of these local radio stations.
Newspaper: There are two local
daily-published newspapers; the VI Daily News on St. Thomas and
the St. Croix Avis on St. Croix. For world coverage in US
newspapers you can pick up copies of the New York Times, Miami
Herald, Wall Street Journal among others. Other local periodicals
are printed on monthly or bi-weekly basis covering sports,
entertainment, business and St. John news.
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