Dear Editor,
I was quite amused at Ms Allison Parker’s reply with regard to the availability and the blocks of GT&T SIM cards in her response to my letter captioned ‘I was unable to purchase GT&T’s SIM cards’ (21.4.08). First and foremost, the names of vendors have been withheld due to conditions of anonymity because GT&T has been in the practice of withholding vendors’ hard-earned commissions.
My end vendor was Digicel, which I did contact. I had no business visiting a GT&T business office for problems pertaining to my Digicel SIM, as “reliable and efficient services” are out of the question at GT&T. It is now the duty of Digicel (my provider) to investigate my claim(s) as it pertains to my SIM not being allowed to dial GTT numbers.
I have received numerous calls and letters after the publication of my letter, all pertaining to the same issues (unavailability of GT&T SIM cards, and/or both inter and intra-connection SIM card blocks by GT&T).
I am inviting Ms Parker to meet the media (all paid for by me), to discuss this further. At this time I will present to Ms Parker over 300 GT&T and Digicel SIM cards (forwarded by consumers) which have been blocked from accessing the GT&T network.
If Ms Parker is unwilling to accept this invitation, all SIM cards will be forwarded to the PUC for further investigation. Any private invitation will be unacceptable.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Baldeo N Persaud
Editor’s note
We sent a copy of this letter to GT&T for their comments and received the following response from the Company’s Director, Rate-making and Regulation, Mr Gene Evelyn:
“The Pubic Relations Department has drawn to my attention and for my advice this letter written by Dr Baldeo N Persaud.
“The reality is that there is a very simple explanation why the 300-odd mobile services to which Dr Baldeo N Persaud refers, cannot access GT&T’s networks: These services are denied termination on both of our networks (GT&T & Digicel).
“Our reason for so doing is that these services are involved in inbound international bypass and the domestic distribution of inbound international calls, in contravention of the Telecommunications Act of 1990.
“Digicel is aware of the prevalence of these bypass activities and the fact that both operators’ mobile services are involved. Digicel is aware, too, that our policy is to deny these services access to our networks once we identify them.
“GT&T would have no difficulty with Dr Persaud forwarding to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) the 300-odd mobile services that he knows to be blocked. Indeed, we would strongly recommend this course of action since we are certain that both the Commission and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) would be interested in the licence under which Dr Persaud operates, with a view to bringing his business within the purview of regulation. “As a licensed telephony carrier, we have an obligation to minimize the customer confusion that arises when, on receipt of an international call the customer sees a local mobile number. We have an obligation, too, to minimize the national security exposure that inheres in these illegal international telephony businesses.”
