December 21st 2011 - DIGICEL REITERATES CALL FOR LIBERALISATION

                                             DIGICEL REITERATES CALL FOR LIBERALISATION

 

Calls on GT&T to clarify their position on ending the monopoly

 

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 – Georgetown, Guyana:  As Guyana prepares to welcome a new parliament, Digicel is reiterating its call for liberalisation of the telecommunications sector. The telecommunications provider is also calling on its competitor, GT&T to clarify their position on the ending of the monopoly.

 

According to Digicel Guyana CEO, Gregory Dean, “Digicel welcomes GT&T’s CEO Mr. Yog Mahadeo’s recent comment on their support for liberalisation; however Digicel believes that the time has come for GT&T to clarify and publicly state their objections to legislation to achieve the same so that the issue can be resolved once and for all and stop engaging in side shows.”

 

“The dramatic 11^th hour reversal of the planned telecommunications reform was attributed to the “possibility of litigation and acrimony” which arose following communications between the Government and US based ATN / GT&T. Now more than two months later, GT&T nor its parent company ATN has stated what their concerns were with the bill,” Dean said. After months of consultations and commitments, the Government pulled the 2011 Telecommunications Reform Bill on September 22 due to these last minute submissions from ATN/GT&T.

 

“The reality is that liberalisation would probably force GT&T to get away from their monopoly / subsidy mindset and manage themselves as a proper competitive company.  Businesses should thrive on merit and through competing vigorously; not by sitting on a guaranteed monopoly for two decades that grants it significant advantages over other operators.  GT&T needs to join the rest of the business world in the 21^st century. ATN’s US businesses would not have been able to make the gains they have made in the USA if they did not operate in a fair competitive environment so why should Guyana have to treat their Guyanese subsidiary GT&T any different.” Dean concluded

 

ENDS

 

About Digicel

After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has over 11 million customers across its 31 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.