Digicel yesterday welcomed the decision of Justice Rishi Persaud in the Commercial Division of the High Court in which he ruled that the monopoly held by GT&T to provide telecommunications service or to regulate voice and data transmission over the internet is unlawful and void.
Digicel noted that it has long challenged GT&T’s claim to a monopoly on international services in Guyana since 1990.
In a statement, Digicel Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean commented, “Digicel itself has issued legal proceedings challenging the GT&T monopoly which were awaiting a hearing before the Courts. Thankfully, the High Court of Guyana has now conclusively determined that this monopoly is unlawful and invalid. This decision of the High Court is of enormous significance to the people of Guyana signalling as it does the end of the international monopoly in Guyana.”
Digicel noted that following the expiration of the international monopoly in Antigua last month, Guyana remained the last country in the Caribbean region to allow an international monopoly to persist.
Digicel said that it will move quickly to pass on the benefits of the ending of this monopoly through lower international rates, high-tech mobile technology, increased investment in far-flung communities and exciting new products and services.
“Digicel has been pushing for many years to have this outdated monopoly brought to end. This decision of the High Court is wonderful news for the Guyanese consumer. We intend giving the people of Guyana something that they have never seen before in terms of value and service on international calls,” Dean added in the press release.
