Digicel (Guyana) upbeat about liberalised telecoms sector

By Leanna Bradshaw

Digicel Guyana CEO
Gregory Dean

Digicel Guyana is looking forward to a liberalised sector by April this year, given that government intends to conclude negotiations within the first quarter of the year and have the legislation passed.
This was pointed out by a confident Gregory Dean, the Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Guyana, during an exclusive interview with this publication last week.
Speaking at his Fort and Barrack streets, Kingston headquarters, Dean said the company was not in any discussion with the government, but was assured that it would see a free telecommunications sector this year.
“We were asked to comment on the bill and we’ve done that already, whether we will be called in the future or consulted, we don’t know, but to the moment we have no scheduled meeting,” he noted.
When the legislation is passed, Dean said that Guyanese can see some immediate benefits and an increase in competition.
“Initially, you’re looking at more competition in terms of international rates; a lot of Guyanese have family in the diaspora, whether it’s in the U.S or in the Caribbean or Canada. So, for customers you’ll see that immediate change in terms of rates.
The last period in July when we had the opportunity… we had close to 83 per cent discount in rates, so we’ll see something like that or even more competition once the market opens up,” the Digicel CEO pointed out. He said Digicel will continue to roll out its plan to reach far-flung areas, as well as provide competition in the technological aspect.

Increase standards
He believes the local telecommunication providers will be making moves to bring Guyana on par with, at least, the rest of the Caribbean. He added: “I think we will finally see Guyana achieving its full potential in terms of demands of services at cheaper rates.”
Digicel Guyana is hopeful that government and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) can conclude their negotiations quickly so that all players  in the sector  will have a level playing field.
“I think an open market is not just gonna be about Digicel and GT&T, but it’s gonna be about any other player in the market or players who may come into the market,” Dean outlined.

Critical component
In December last year, Presidential Adviser on governance Gail Teixeira at a post-Cabinet press briefing, said that the telecommunications sector and its liberalisation and de-monopolisation is a critical component of the national agenda.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, last Thursday, sought approval from the National Assembly to defer the second reading of the Telecommunications Bill Number 18 of 2012. The first reading of the bill was done on August 9, 2012.
The Bill seeks to establish a Telecommunications Agency as well as create a regular, coordinated, open and competitive telecommunications sector, and address matters connected with the sector. Hinds promised to have the discussions concluded and the bill read for the second time and passed before the end of the first quarter of this year.