– as PUC approves new system commencing July

STARTING from July 2023, customers will have the freedom to switch their telecommunication service providers while retaining their current phone numbers.

This is according to Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Dela Britton, who, during a webinar held in observance of World Telecommunications and Information Society Day on Wednesday, said the commission would be rolling out a ‘game changer’ number portability system.

The webinar, held under the theme “Telecoms Sector in Guyana: Navigating this new Frontier’ saw several major players from Guyana’s telecommunications sector in attendance.

“Number portability is a game changer in the competition space, as it allows consumers to retain their existing telephone or cellular numbers when switching services. It generally forces players, when faced with competition, to improve their service offerings,” Britton said.

According to the Chairman, in 2021, a collaborative number portability working group was established and chaired by the PUC. The group also comprised representatives from the existing mobile service providers and telecommunications agencies in Guyana.
“PUC now eagerly awaits the completion of the testing processes, and we anticipate the number portability will become a reality in Guyana in July of this year,” Britton said, adding:

“PUC Guyana made a commitment to revamp its operations to meet the ever-changing demands of both the operators and local discerning consumers, especially as new products are introduced, and we demand better quality service and products to match the agile, creativity and global flows of Guyana.”

As a result of ongoing consultations, Britton disclosed that there had been a steady decline in complaints from the mobile service category.

While no statistics were provided, she alluded to the decline in the upgrades of existing networks and new technologies, which has led to improved performances and a better quality of service.

According to statistics provided by the PUC chairman Guyana has 745,689 mobile subscribers 97,179 landline subscribers and 123, 856 fixed internet subscribers.

In October 2020 the Government issued Commencement Orders fully bringing into force the Telecommunications Act 2016 (the “Act”) and the Public Utilities Commission Act 2016.

This ended a 30-year anti-competitive telecommunications monopoly that had left Guyanese weary, frustrated, and lagging in the telecommunications arena.

Guyana’s phone service providers are the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Co. Ltd (GTT) Digicel, E-Net (E-Networks and, more recently Green Gibraltar.

The Telecommunications Act 2016 was first laid by the PPP/C Government in the Ninth Parliament in August 2011 and laid again in the 10th Parliament in 2012 after extensive consultations with 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 Carl Greenidge and included Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and then Minister Mohamed Irfaan Ali, now President.

The Act was finalised before the 2015 elections and was enacted by the Coalition Government in 2016 by Minister Catherine Hughes, again with bipartisan support.