Discussions began on Friday by the Guyana Government with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. Ltd (GTT) and its parent company, ATN International (ATNI), in preparation for the transition to a liberalised telecommunications sector, according to a release from the Ministry of Public Telecommunications.
Leading the Government’s team was the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, accompanied by Vice President & Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, and Ministerial Advisors on ICT and Telecommunications.
The release said that GTT and ATNI’s team was led by GTT’s CEO Justin Nedd and ATNI’s Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Doug Minster. The team also included other company executives.
These discussions follow the passage of Guyana’s Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill 2016 on July 18.
According to the Explanatory Memorandum, the bill provides for an “open, liberalised and competitive telecommunications sector that will be attractive to new market entrants and investors while preserving the activities of the current sector participants.” It says that by creating this environment, the bill is expected to result in “greater choice, better quality of service and lower prices for consumers.”
In an effort to further national and regional social economic development, the bill also specifically addresses the expansion of telecommunications networks and services into unserved and underserved areas through the institution of a new universal access/universal services programme.
The discussions, the release said, were cordial, positive and productive, and both teams expect the talks to conclude “as soon as possible” to their mutual satisfaction.
GTT’s 20-year monopoly on the international gateway and various services ended in January 2011.
