-says the project answers President Ali’s call for better connectivity

AFTER being burdened with substandard internet services for decades, the people of Essequibo, Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam, are soon expected to benefit from significantly improved connections, owing to a $1.2 billion investment from E-Networks Incorporated.
The company in a statement, on Saturday, said that it will be landing the first-ever submarine fiber optic cable to serve the Essequibo Islands and Essequibo Coast.

“With this cable, E-Networks can now offer Essequibians the same services at the same prices as those available in Georgetown, with up to gigabit (1,000 Mbps) internet speeds on its business fiber and up to 75 Mbps on its 4G/5G fixed wireless service,” the company said in its announcement.
E-Networks, the only locally-owned internet service provider in the country, said that it has already moved to roll out testing of the improved services in several areas along the Essequibo Coast, with ongoing expansions to most areas between Aurora and Charity.

“As the only Guyanese telecoms provider, the company is immensely proud to have answered that call and expand its services to Essequibo.”
To accommodate the service boost, E-Networks said that it will also be opening a branch office in Anna Regina in early August.
“Customers can also immediately sign-up for services using the company’s website and social media channels,” the company’s press release indicated.

It highlighted too that the company’s motivation to conclude the notable investment in a swift manner can be directly attributed to a challenge extended by President Irfaan Ali earlier in the year.
Recognising the need for improved connectivity throughout Guyana, the Head of State had emphasised the need for more investments within the telecommunications sector and committed to working with various stakeholders to deliver better quality internet services to citizens, especially within the context of the novel coronavirus and the pandemic it has created.

“With these new services, E-Networks looks forward to connecting more persons to the transformational power of the internet, which has been highlighted during COVID-19 as the crucial link to education, work, and keeping informed,” the internet company related.
It boasted too that with E-Networks’ faster and more reliable connectivity, Essequibo residents will now have more access to online options for socioeconomic development, remote learning, entertainment, e-commerce, collaboration, and connecting with family and friends.

“In the business community, E-Networks also looks forward to supporting the region’s financial, insurance, and entrepreneurial industries by providing access to advanced services to the cloud and other platforms to enhance productivity and efficiency,” the company said.
It also pointed to the fact that since the telecommunications sector was liberalised last October, E-Networks has stimulated considerable competition, forcing the complacent incumbent providers to upgrade their services reactively.

“E-Networks offers businesses the fastest internet access available in Guyana, and at lower pricing. The company’s network is also widened to cover more of the country’s densely populated areas, with continuous expansion to new areas almost weekly,” the statement read.
Further, the company also commended President Ali along with Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips; Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and the Government of Guyana for fast-tracking the liberalisation, which had been long overdue.

“The commencement of the new order has resulted in tangible benefits to the Guyanese people, for whom connectivity is now a necessity in the current and post-COVID-19 world,” the company noted.
It should be noted that the Telecommunications Act of 2016 was first laid by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government in the ninth Parliament in August 2011; it was laid again in the 10th Parliament in 2012, after extensive consultations with both the public and operators.

During the life of both Parliaments, the Act enjoyed commendable bipartisan support. It spent considerable time before a select committee, chaired by former Opposition Member of Parliament, Carl Greenidge, and included Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and President Ali who was a minister of the government at that time.
Although finalised before the 2015 elections, the Act was enacted by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government in 2016, again with bipartisan support.

In finally bringing the Act into force in October 2020, Prime Minister Phillips lamented the fact that even though the benefits of the Act were well known to the coalition government, they, for some “inexplicable reason” only brought a few sections of the Act into force, thereby “frustrating the intent and objective of the Act by denying Guyanese the benefits flowing therefrom.”
As the telecommunications sector was being fully liberalised, Phillips projected that the move will be felt countrywide “at a time when enhanced, universal and competitive access to telecommunications is pivotal to Guyana’s developmental trajectory. In face of the COVID-19 crisis, it assumes even greater significance.”

In addition to Essequibo, reports are that Linden, Region 10, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice, and the West Demerara region are slated to benefit from improved bandwidth. Further, E-Networks said that it remains committed to playing its part as the only 100 per cent Guyanese telecommunications provider to continually improve its network to bring better services to more people.”