-company mentions plans for growth, access in next five years

IN recent modernisation efforts, One Communications (Guyana) Inc. recently announced the phasing out of its 2G network countrywide. This means that all 2G-only devices and SIM cards will no longer work on the One Communications network once transition has been completed.

The company projects that by October 31, 2026, 2G services across Guyana will be phased out, bringing faster speeds for browsing and streaming to its customers. Customers will be able to upgrade their SIM card for free at any ‘One’ store nationwide.

With the decommissioning of the 2G network, One Communications is strengthening its 4G LTE network, introducing consumers to better performance: faster LTE data speeds, improved voice quality, and more reliable coverage and network stability.

Speaking with the media on Friday at the One Communications office in the Pegasus Corporate Centre, CEO Abraham Smith, with support from his team, explained the reason for such a massive upgrade.

Noting that data consumption is growing tremendously, Smith shared that according to the GSMA (a global organisation that unites mobile network operators and companies) in Latin America consumption for mobile connection is moving steadily from nine gigabytes in 2024 per person, to an estimated 30 gigabytes by 2030 per person.

For technology, this means communications companies will have to provide enough pressure to maintain the speeds that people need. This, the CEO said, means that all of this requires investments in a number of places, including connection to the internet.

The One Communications head said it is all about ensuring that the company has enough coverage and capacity on each site to deliver the speeds needed.

“So, what we’re doing now is this year, we’ve been working on both of those things: on increasing the bandwidth on the sites to support additional speed, and when we do that, what will happen is the average speed that customers will feel, especially at the busy hour when everybody’s using it at the same time, will be increased. The second thing we’re doing is we’re really completing the technology transition from 2G to 4G on some sites. That was important to maintain for a long time because some people had not come into the device ecosystem and the data usage world, so, we maintained that network, but now that’s now phasing out. So, we’re making those changes,” he said.

The third change, according to Smith, is geographic expansion, with added completed sites to improve coverage nationwide.

The company said it has around 2,500 2G customers left spanning several areas including Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Lethem Central and Lethem, as well as Annai, and a few other communities.

The CEO shared that approximately $25 million is being expended in the company’s capital investment programme across mobile, core and fixed networks.

Furthermore, Smith stated that currently in process is its site coverage plans for the hinterland over the next five years.

“I don’t have a number or a specific community set to tell you, but I think by the middle of next year, we should have our 2028 and 2029 investment plan in place; but as of now, I don’t have a list of additional coverage in those areas. But I do have the technology expansion. So now what we have to do is now that we’ve got this space done, now we have to kind of reset, re-look at our investment plan for the next three years, and coverage outside, in those specific areas, are on the priority list,” he assured.

Housing is another targeted area and according to Smith, there are presently between 170,000 to 180,000 homes connected to the fibre network. In the company’s proposed investment plan over the next five years, there are plans to continuously increase the number of homes covered by One’s network.

“So, whatever the growth if the growth of homes over the next five years, if it’s going to be 100,000 homes we will eat into that faster than the rate of growth of homes,” he said.

Anticipating temporary service fluctuations, the company advises that during this upgrade period in local areas, customers may temporarily experience occasional dropped calls, reduced coverage in some areas, and brief service interruptions while sites are being upgraded.

To know whether or not they have a 2G device or SIM card, customers can check their device settings and choose the ‘Mobile Networks’ option. If it only shows 2G/GSM or you do not see a 3G/4G/LTE option, then that means you need to upgrade your device; Similarly, if customers are experiencing very slow mobile data speeds with consistent buffering, they may need to upgrade their SIM card.