THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) is pushing government to speed up the fulfilment of its promise to liberalise the telecommunications sector and is asking for strict timelines and the tabling of the appropriate legislation.In a statement on Wednesday, the PSC said that while it welcomes the fact that the APNU+AFC government has announced its commitment in favour of the prompt liberalisation of Guyana’s telecommunication sector to be concluded before the end of this year, it is disappointed that the promised telecommunication legislation is yet to be laid in Parliament and urges the government to establish and announce specific timelines for when the liberalisation is going to begin and the specific processes that are going to be involved in this exercise.

“The fact is that Guyana’s economic advancement and growth are being seriously handicapped by the country’s limited access to bandwidth and affordable high-speed connectivity. The PSC looks forward to a Telecommunications Bill that will ensure unrestricted and unfettered competition by our telecommunications providers,” the business umbrella body stated.

According to the PSC, the absence of high-speed affordable connectivity has left Guyana behind the rest of the world and, indeed, the rest of the Caribbean. “It prevents domestic and international investment in the creative innovation of ICT services and the employment and productivity that this investment will produce in every sector of the economy. “The private sector is of the firm belief that technology driven, knowledge-based industries must be the cornerstone of this country’s future. The Private Sector Commission is ready and willing to work with and support the government, in every way it can, to accelerate the establishment of an ICT sector that will bring our country and the economy into the 21st century.”

The liberalisation of the telecommunications sector here has been hamstrung by the decades-old monopoly being held by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT). The previous government had made efforts to break the monopoly, but at the very last moment it had pulled out due to legal considerations.

Speaking during the recent budget debate, Minister of Telecommunications Cathy Hughes had said that there were several consequential matters that remained to be settled before liberalisation of the sector and for which further consultations with a major player, GT&T, are ongoing. “It is hoped therefore that the process of liberalisation would be completed during this year and that the national spectrum will be opened to all strategic partners and we promise to have an even playing field,” Hughes said.

Irish telecommunications giant Digicel has also been pressing for the end of the monopoly. Digicel’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevin Kelly had previously told this newspaper that the company has faith in the new administration to fulfil its promise. “As it relates to the subject of liberalisation, we believe that the new administration is committed to delivering on their promise to liberalise the telecommunications sector. As highlighted in their manifesto, the Telecommunications Bill is one of the main bills of focus,” the CEO said. Kelly noted that the company is eager to provide the Guyanese people with improved products and services. “We also believe that liberalisation will benefit Guyana and the Guyanese people by lowering costs for international calls and improve the products and services offered in the Guyanese market.”

Meanwhile, GTT also late last year had said that it is optimistic that the telecommunications sector will soon be liberalised, although much uncertainty surrounds passage of the Telecommunication Bill. “I know this government is very keen on liberalising the sector,” GTT’s Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd had told the media. Nedd said that once the sector is liberalised and spectrum is granted, GTT would be able to free its customers from the “slow 2G experience” through provision of 3G and/or 4G services. He said once the government, through the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), allocates the spectrum, GTT would move into operation. “We are preparing, we are talking to vendors, trying to get the best prices, [and] looking at the procurement process to see how quickly we could get this gear installed and tested, so that customers could get 3 and 4G services.”