-Sharma
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) plans to intensify its efforts for government to grant the wireless spectrum needed to deploy 3G and 4G (third and fourth generation) wireless services, according to Chief Executive Officer Radha Krishna Sharma, who says four years have passed since the company’s initial request.
Sharma makes the disclosure in his message in GT&T’s new 2014 telephone directory, where he also reiterates the company’s desire for liberalisation of the sector to be based on a level playing-field for all and market data relevant to Guyana.
“…Like all providers, we are dependent on the government to grant the necessary wireless spectrum. We have lost four years since our initial request to facilitate 3G/4G technology in this country,” Sharma says.
“To this end we intend to intensify our efforts in discussions with the Government to allow for this which is an everyday usage in other Caribbean territories,” he adds, while noting that the company is considering and actively testing multiple value added network offerings as its network transformation to an all IP-converged network is still ongoing.
3G and 4G services would allow faster information transfer rates and broadband internet services for the users of smartphones and other mobile devices.
Both local carriers, GT&T and Digicel continue to use the Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, while the vast majority of other Caribbean countries have long moved on to 4G and LTE.
In his message, Sharma also reveals that GT&T is preparing for “a more widely competitive market” in light of government’s signaled intention to have competition in the wireless telecommunication industry.
He says a level playing field for all and the establishment of factually-based and consistent requirements that are appropriate for Guyana ought to be the overarching principles upon which this is based.
“GT&T believes that legislation crafted with the Guyana market foremost in mind can quickly create a competitive landscape that reduces the need for legislative or regulatory intervention,” he explains.
“A uniform set of rules based on proven market data and applied in a consistent and transparent manner will provide for a smooth transition to full competition,” he adds.
According to Sharma, out of the recognition that in today’s world, telecommunication is the vehicle that facilitates ICT development and economic growth, GT&T supports government’s efforts to liberalise and strengthen the telecommunications sector. “In fact from the beginning of these discussions GT&T and its parent company ATN indicated a willingness to cooperate with the Government to realise the Government’s goal of introducing full competition in the provision of telecoms networks and services, with the caveat that we expect the new legislation and regulations to reflect a level playing field, the application of international best practices and a minimum of discretionary decision making. Naturally this must be seen within the context of the respect for our contractual rights as embodied in our existing agreement with the Government of Guyana,” he, however, adds. Sharma notes that GT&T sees tremendous opportunity within a liberalised sector as it affords the company the opportunity to accelerate planning focus and business strategy.
“We see ourselves to be the prime player in the ICT arena and uniquely poised in the Data/Broadband space inclusive of bundled offerings since we have the largest existing local access distribution network in the nation,” he says, while adding that its network infrastructure will be used to increase mobile data access and penetration in urban centers and rural clusters.
According to Sharma, targeted sites have been identified and technical coverage studies are about to start. “Since we see the need for stakeholder support in their mission, critical operational need for Broadband as an absolute necessity, our network rollout in the mining areas will not be limited to low capacity GSM sites but fixed reliable broadband in addition to mobile voice and data based on stakeholders needs and requirements,” he says. He adds that marketing and field data studies are ongoing based on changing demographics associated with housing developments to ensure that the company designs “a state of the art access network using FTTX technology” to meet the ever increasing broadband demand and bundled offering requirements that will occur as a result of shifting demographics.
In his message, Sharma also mentions GT&T investment in the development, modernisation and expansion of its networks and systems, while pointing out that over the last 23 years it has invested over $58 billion in its capital expansion programme and paid over $51 billion to the national treasury in revenue. Since 1991, he says, the landline service base has been increased from 11,000 to 154,039 subscribers and a National Fiber optic cable network connecting all major population centers from Charity to Moleson Creek to Linden has been deployed. In addition, he also highlights the company’s $6 billion investment in 2010 in the Suriname Guyana Submarine Cable System (SGSCS), which provides high speed internet access across Guyana.
It also invested over $1 billion in 2011 on upgrading of the Americas 11 Cable. “We increased the number of Earth Stations from one to seven, and, very importantly, we were the first to launch wireless services in Guyana along with continued deployment of cell sites across the country,” he points out.
Sharma also says that the company has grown to be one of the largest private sector employers in the country, with more than 650 direct employees and offering indirect employment to over 2,000 persons.
