Digicel begins lobbying gov't, opposition to pass new telecoms law
Written by Abigail Semple
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 08:32
Source
Digicel's Executives with their anniversary cake
Digicel (Guyana) has begun lobbying government and opposition leaders to pass the long-awaited Telecommunications Bill and so fully liberalise the telecoms sector.
“We've been speaking to all the parties...At the moment, we still don't know what objections were raised when the previous bill was shown, but currently we don't see any significant reason for any particular amendment,” Digicel’s CEO, Gregory Dean told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com )
Renewed representations have come several weeks after Parliament has been reconstituted following last November’s general and regional elections. Digicel, like almost all other entities, need bipartisan support for the law to be passed because the combined opposition enjoys a one-seat majority in the 65-seat National Assembly.
The mobile phone provider intends to ask government to re-table the Bill in the National Assembly and, according to Dean, there is no significant reason for further delays.
The then Bharrat Jagdeo administration pulled back the Bill from parliamentary approval at the last moment in the run-up to the November 28 general and regional elections. That led to accusations and counter-accusations between Digicel and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) about who influenced the hold-up.
Anticipating that the law would have been passed late last year, Digicel had invested millions of dollars in promotional paraphernalia and advertisements that eventually had to be shelved.
Digicel plans to offer low-cost international rates when the law is passed because it would no longer have to pay interconnection fees to GT&T for the routing of international calls.
Digicel has invested approximately US$70M in operations since coming to Guyana and buying out its predecessor UMobile.
The company has consistently refused to reveal profits garnered over the past five years.
At the same time, the company boasts a 95 percent population coverage and more than 50% rate/price reductions, among others.
While the phone company plans to expand, Dean explained that it is difficult to get coverage in some of the remote areas in Guyana because they are situated off the trails.
Digicel supports two HIV/AIDS-related charities- Lifeline Counselling in Georgetown and Hope in Bartica.
The company plans to continue focusing on youths in the area of sports, while in the area of athletics they will work along with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Written by Abigail Semple
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 08:32
Source
Digicel's Executives with their anniversary cake
Digicel (Guyana) has begun lobbying government and opposition leaders to pass the long-awaited Telecommunications Bill and so fully liberalise the telecoms sector.“We've been speaking to all the parties...At the moment, we still don't know what objections were raised when the previous bill was shown, but currently we don't see any significant reason for any particular amendment,” Digicel’s CEO, Gregory Dean told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com )
Renewed representations have come several weeks after Parliament has been reconstituted following last November’s general and regional elections. Digicel, like almost all other entities, need bipartisan support for the law to be passed because the combined opposition enjoys a one-seat majority in the 65-seat National Assembly.
The mobile phone provider intends to ask government to re-table the Bill in the National Assembly and, according to Dean, there is no significant reason for further delays.
The then Bharrat Jagdeo administration pulled back the Bill from parliamentary approval at the last moment in the run-up to the November 28 general and regional elections. That led to accusations and counter-accusations between Digicel and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) about who influenced the hold-up.
Anticipating that the law would have been passed late last year, Digicel had invested millions of dollars in promotional paraphernalia and advertisements that eventually had to be shelved.
Digicel plans to offer low-cost international rates when the law is passed because it would no longer have to pay interconnection fees to GT&T for the routing of international calls.
Digicel has invested approximately US$70M in operations since coming to Guyana and buying out its predecessor UMobile.
The company has consistently refused to reveal profits garnered over the past five years.
At the same time, the company boasts a 95 percent population coverage and more than 50% rate/price reductions, among others.
While the phone company plans to expand, Dean explained that it is difficult to get coverage in some of the remote areas in Guyana because they are situated off the trails.
Digicel supports two HIV/AIDS-related charities- Lifeline Counselling in Georgetown and Hope in Bartica.
The company plans to continue focusing on youths in the area of sports, while in the area of athletics they will work along with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.