Digicel preparing for end of telecoms monopoly by early August

Gregory Dean

CEO of Digicel Gregory Dean says that the company has started to prepare for the breaking of GT&T’s decades-old monopoly on international voice and data services, for which government has signalled an early August deadline.

The planned debate and expected passage of two bills to liberalise the sector have been deferred for months to allow for negotiations on the liberalisation. During Wednesday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Sam Hinds announced the further deferment of the two connected Bills – the Telecommunications Bill 2012 and the Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012. He said that the government was continuing its review of the bills, which were first introduced in the House two years ago. Hinds said that meetings will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week to continue the talks. He said that it is the expectation of government that the bills will be moved forward in the coming month.

Dean, in a statement issued to Stabroek News, said that talks between the