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GT&T pulls plug on internet cafes
Many Guyanese were happy that Guyana Telephone and Telegraph was successful in launching its submarine cable that allowed for affordable bandwidth. Thousands of persons subscribed to the service because they were promised that with the $10,000 Emagine plan they would be able to access online gaming, conferencing and VOIP.
Stephen Thompson
However, two days ago GT&T dashed the hopes of hundreds of internet cafes that depend on their service and who are the resellers of CPoint and Phone Card services. The telephone company blocked VOIP on the DSL lines.
This move by GT&T left hundreds of people scrambling for alternative means to communicate with their families and friends abroad.
“We will find that the only country in the Caribbean where we cannot benefit from great calling features like free talk for fifteen minutes after talking for five minutes to the USA is Guyana. Although we don’t have these options we are still being assaulted when we try to use the alternative of VOIP at internet cafes,” said one of the affected operators.
“Four years ago in 2008 GT&T attempted this very move around the Festive season. This action adversely affected around 7000 persons who were the direct employees or beneficiaries of internet cafes and tens of thousands of others who used these entities to make affordable international calls”
Internet cafes that use Wireless services from other ISPs (internet service providers) are becoming increasingly popular and are still boasting of uninterrupted service. The affected people want GT&T to take note of this situation.
“The logical direction is that scores of cafes will move away from the GT&T DSL service to the logical option because lots of these café owners have been doing this business all their lives and have no other alternative.”
“We the members of the Internet Interest Holders Group (IIHG), Inclusive of Stephen Thompson of Netsurf.com, Eton Cordis Talk IS Cheap; Ranfred Williams of weChatting.com, Joseph Hoyte, Sigmund and countless others are petitioning GT&T to revise this drastic move that is taken against Guyanese. WE are prepared to take whatever means necessary to get our voices heard including the Public Utilities Commission.”
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