DIGICEL Guyana has commissioned its first green cellular site, at Wakapoa, in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).
Powered by solar energy, it was welcomed by the Amerindian community where residents were given charging equipment for their cellular phones. The tower is carbon emission and fossil fuel consumption free and is one of several to be put into operation this month.
Digicel Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Gregory Dean, speaking on the occasion two Saturdays ago, said the others would be at Matthews Ridge, North West District and Ituni, Upper Demerara River.
He said they were doing similarly at Santa Rosa when residents of other outlying areas asked for the service but their patience is rewarded now that they can be in communication.
Dean said it is a major achievement for Digicel because they have been in this country since 2006 and, although there have been many launchings, the latest commissioning was the only fully solar site.
“We are particularly excited about the Wakapoa site, as it is a testing ground and our counterparts in Suriname said it is workable. So we brought solar energy powered cellular site to Wakapoa,” he stated.
Dean encouraged the users to give a feedback on the delivery while using it to enhance their lives and grow their businesses.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Mrs Pauline Sukhai thanked Digicel for the work in the area and acknowledged it is development for the community.
She said, before Digicel extended the service to Wakapoa, residents had to go to higher ground to make cellular phone calls but now they are in receipt of clear signals.
Sukhai said, with the important step in that community, she must say that development is taking place across the hinterland.
Referring to the just concluded National Toshaos Council meeting, she said: “The dialogue was not a one-off discourse, which, usually, takes place in the city with Toshaos but an annual feature of our government, bringing closer and increasing the opportunities for villages, hinterland residents, not only Amerindians, to participate in the development plan for the country.”
Sukhai said the cellular service is an important economic tool for development and marketing strategy to sell Wakapoa products.
At the function, pupils of Wakapoa Primary School sang ‘It’s a small world after all’ for the audience, which included Miss Wakapoa, Neisa Fredericks.
Making brief remarks on the occasion, too, were Wakapoa Toshao Lloyd Perreira. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Colin Croal was high in praise of Perreira, for the work he has been doing and commended Digicel for the initiative towards the reduction of energy waste.