Digicel still waiting to provide international services

DIGICEL Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gregory Dean said Thursday that the telephone company is still waiting to provide international services for which it applied several years ago.Speaking after the launch of Digicel More promotion at Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, he said, though that they continue to make strides to improve their offerings.
He recalled that, when Digicel introduced itself locally, it made application to provide international and other services as a full communications operator and had even requested that spectrum be included in any new regime

so that it can offer all whether by Internet or landline.
But up to now they are still awaiting such service even after years despite their 250,000 customer base and the launch of their services in many far fetched areas in the interior.
The CEO explained that he wanted to have the licence so that from the day liberalisation legislation is granted, they would be licensed as a full communications operator and not have to wait until it becomes law to get the licences.
Dean said should this be done, then there would be no room for vagueness as to who can provide which services.
He added that Guyana has an issue of being behind as it relates to ICT since it is still using 3G instead of 4G like most Caribbean and other developing countries.

Newer heights
Dean stated that there are investors and companies who are willing to invest and take the sector to newer heights with a committed attitude since that will foster development.
The CEO disclosed that Digicel is anxious for the liberalisation legislation to be approved and enacted soon because it has a list of plans to improve services and the quality of products.
He stated that Digicel is not expecting the Government to invest in the company since it has backing from the various sectors awaiting the reality of liberalisation legislation.
Dean said that with liberalisation legislation the company will soar higher in terms of quality services and it has always been in tune to training staff to be technologically geared for such transformation in the ICT world.
He said that locally slow Internet services put a damper on the way Digicel accesses it since most people use their cell phones to do so and that is not viable.
Dean highlighted that there are many benefits from having access to cheap bandwidth and Internet, noting that even students will stand to be beneficiaries from this since they are some who are yet to use and explore it.
He pointed out that Digicel is unable to deliver the service that is required by its customers.
“I don’t think we are happy in 2014 providing an edge service,” Dean declared.
He said:” We believe that we should be providing something a bit better and faster for the customers out there and we would like the chance to do something about it as soon as possible.”
The CEO pointed out that in 2004 there was probably five per cent access to broadband in Guyana and this had to be shared among all the businesses and residential homes.
He continued that in the 21st century for Guyana to have a situation where much of its population is without access to broadband is an indictment and will pose critical problems for the country’s development.
Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) submitted a request to the government in 2010 for spectrum allocation to facilitate a phased 3G/4G rollout and that company also awaits approval.

(By Michel Outridge)