…at fifth anniversary press conference
IN celebration of Digicel’s fifth anniversary yesterday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gregory Dean told a press conference that the company has invested more than US$70M so far in Guyana. Dean said that Digicel has 90% population coverage, with upgraded services, network and data, and that the company will expand even more in coming years, but it requires a level playing field in order to do so.
Accordingly, the company is hoping for liberalization of the telecommunications sector.
Dean said that, looking back, the company was proud of its achievements in terms of staffing development, and is quite happy with what it has done; but, again, calls for the liberalization of the telecoms sector in order to have a level playing field relative to international services and calls.
Dean was speaking at a press conference held in the Essequibo Room of the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown when he spoke of Digicel’s future in Guyana, outlining the company’s expansion projects; and charitable, sports, youth, education and development of sports projects, as well as its future plans.
He added that, as the company celebrates five years of providing telecommunications service in Guyana, it continues to have network maintenance and upgrade, because when the company first came to Guyana, its focus was to provide wide coverage.
He said that the company launched cellular phone service in 58 Miles, Mabura and at Matthews Ridge last year, bringing the service to 95% population coverage.
“It is quite an achievement, because a lot of areas which did not have coverage are now benefiting from cellular phone service, especially in the interior locations; and we continue to do work in city locations, as well as (at) Suddie, Eccles and Rosignol. We (are) also doing work in new housing schemes, expanding services and doing upgrades to data services, given the demand in Blackberry service; plus we have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, the ones customers don’t always see.”
Dean noted that he is pleased with the noticeable reduction of prices and rates as well as the flood of new products and services in the local market in terms of the Blackberry service.

Challenges
Dean said that, with expansion, the company was looking at more remote areas, but since it was not in the road building business, it was quite costly for Digicel to develop roads. Its sites go off the main trails in interior locations, tasking Digicel with doing two to three miles of roads to set up its towers.
He explained that the company was lucky in some instances, such as at Matthews Ridge, where Reunion Manganese Company came on board with them and partnered in road development there, when that company launched their service there last year March.
Dean noted the rough terrain in some of the hinterland regions, and the company also had the difficulty of providing electricity for its sites, but that was overcome with the implementation of solar panels.
Dean told the press conference yesterday that Digicel has had two major promotions in 2011, which saw successes in the Summer Swift and the Christmas Credit Rush. He said those ideas came from the team of young professionals in the company, who continue to challenge themselves.

Charity
He pointed out that Digicel will continue to support the Lifeline Counselling Service as well as the Hope Counselling Service in Bartica. In 2011, the company constructed a house for a single mother, and Harris Paints and the Ministry of Human Services partnered with Digicel to complete painting and furnishing of the house.
Dean stated that Digicel will also continue working with schools and orphanages, but the company hopes to see more done for the National Athletics Championship teams in schools.
As for orphanages, he noted that Digicel plans to do more, and not just provide toys for the children on occasions, but look at long-term projects.
This year, Dean said, Digicel will take the city schools (teams) to the interior regions to compete, because the last time the hinterland teams travelled to the city.
Dean also talked of the work the company was doing with football and other sports in which schools are participating.
Dean said the company was also pleased with the performance of staff members. Looking back over the five years of its operations in Guyana, Dean said some persons who started out at one position have since been promoted, and the company was looking at ways to keep the young staff motivated. With the company expanding, staff will benefit.
He revealed that Digicel has plans for expansion. There is a lot the company wants to do, but progress is somewhat halted by the slow process of liberalization, and the company has been paying significant sums to the international service provider, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T),
for international services, since Digicel has to make those calls through GT&T.
Dean told reporters yesterday that Digicel has over 500 staff members and is a private company, but he did not wish to reveal their profits and other financial records. He, nevertheless, said the company would continue to provide information to the police in terms of records of phone calls, since the police are the only authorized agency that can make that request.
He explained that when a customer purchases a phone, that customer’s information is taken at the place of purchase, and if a phone has been stolen or misplaced, Digicel cannot shut it down, but can suspend the service and trace it to the location where it is being used, if requested by the police to aid in their investigations.
Meanwhile, Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James, told the press conference yesterday that for Digicel’s fifth anniversary, it was staging the “Free Talk” promotion in which customers can top up with $500 credit and be able to talk free on Digicel to Digicel from 5am to 5pm on Valentine’s Day; while there is “Text to Win” promotion in which customers are required to send a text message to 1144 for the Digicel’s five-year anniversary celebrations. Five players will each win VIP tickets for the Mega Concert on Valentine Night, at the end of the game on February 15.
James added that there is also the Mashramani Fit event in which persons/fans desirous of getting fit for Mashramani can be at the Guyana National Stadium on February 16 at 5:30pm and be in for surprises.
She stated that the anniversary event will feature Morgan Heritage, I-Octane, Keri Hilson and Times X on February 17.
James explained that, with the purchase of a ticket for $3,000, the purchaser will get $500 free credit. She urged persons to purchase their tickets early. The VIP tickets are selling for $15,000.