Even though the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) yesterday retracted its application to withdraw its phone box service to 18 interior communities, representation was made by members of the public who said that not only is there a need for the service but there is also a need for improvements.
The hearing by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of GTT’s application to cease public phone box services in 18 areas – Baracara, DeVeldt, Gateroy, Ikuruwa, Sand Hills, Kimbia/Ebini, St. Lust/Wiruni, Calcuni, Coomacka, Rockstone, Lower Coomacka Mines, Ararika, St. Monica, Acquero, Zeelandia, Capoey, Bethany and Kaieteur Park – was due to begin yesterday.
But the company withdrew the application at the last moment.
According to GTT’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Mark Reynolds, the decision was made after careful consideration.
Reynolds also emphasised that the company has a vested interest in enhancing the country and the telecommunications sector for the entire country. He also noted that it had received communication from persons who were against the decision to withdraw the service, including the National Toshaos Council (NTC).
Citizens also gathered yesterday to offer submissions that the service should not be stopped and they were surprised when GTT withdrew the application.
According to Clayton Hinds, who grew up in Baracara, even though the phone box service is currently inconsistent, the community desperately needs it.
He said the people from Baracara and the other communities that were listed still depend very largely on the service.
“So when the idea was mooted a few of us requested to go see what it is like and I travelled to Baracara and further up the Berbice River. I recognised, based on the word on the ground, that GTT in the future needs to take account of not just its responsibility as a company that’s providing service to the wider public but also its corporate [social] responsibility in relation to providing service to these kinds of communities,” he explained.
Hinds said while the communities have changed over the years, with persons migrating to far ends of the country, the residents still rely on the service to keep in contact with their family and friends since they have no other means.
“That link is critical and it’s not free because the people have to get a card to use it and they said sometimes it doesn’t work for months. So even though it is not functioning the way it should, the application should not be entertained because of the needs,” he added.
Region Ten Vice-Chairman Elroy Adolph also made comments in support of keeping the phone box service.
Adolph said he was happy to hear of GTT’s decision to withdraw its application since persons in the interior areas depend heavily on the service.
“I hope it doesn’t come back and the only comeback must be development, it must be improved. Sometimes it takes months, especially during the rainy season. You don’t get communication and we have to wait and wait but we try with it because we can’t do better. I do hope this will be a stepping stone to… improve the service and to put more poles in the area. We need internet access… It must not be a set of persons isolated in the bush. We want to learn… we should go forwards, not backwards,” he said.
Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission Denise Fraser also made brief comments and suggested that the company and the PUC do better when it comes to informing the public about the applications and hearings.
“Kaieteur was on the list and that is why we are here and we only found out by accident and we are a Commission. These communities that are listed here for the telephone service to cease most likely would not know about this application, so I would suggest that in the future—and I hope it doesn’t come—however, if such an application does come back, there must be a better way for the communities to know there is such an application,” Fraser said.
