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Former Telecoms Director hired to complete draft liberalization laws

Aug 06, 2015 News

Key legislation to open up the telecoms sector, which has been delayed for a number of years, is now set to be tabled in the National Assembly as early as next month.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the hiring of two lawyers, Gita Raghubir and Janice Brenman, to complete a draft Telecommunications Bill. Raghubir is a former Director of Telecommunications in Guyana. The consultancy would be in the vicinity of $3M.
The Bill is critical to allowing new operators to compete in the industry and also to move Guyana in line with the developed world when it comes to telecommunications.
Currently, landline and international calls, under a two-decade agreement, is controlled by the Guyana Telephone and Telephone Company (GT&T).
GT&T’s main competitor in the mobile business, another area the US-owned company is involved in, is Digicel. That company is preparing to land a submarine fibre-optic cable to bring data to Guyana that opens a host of possibilities.
The previous administration under Bharrat Jagdeo had moved to end GT&T’s monopoly by introducing the legislation, but GT&T had objected, saying that there is an agreement in place.
Negotiations had started with the Bill in limbo in a special select committee in the 10th Parliament.
A number of players in the industry have signaled intentions to invest.
As a matter of fact, under the previous draft legislation, four companies with close ties to the former PPP administration had been earmarked for licences. Among them were E-Networks Inc., Quark Communications and Global Technology. It is likely that changes will be coming in new draft legislation.
With the telecoms sector being a lucrative one and licences expected to be coveted, Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, yesterday said that the legislation is testimony to the commitment of the new administration for the industry to become competitive and for it to be liberalized.
Speaking with reporters during the weekly post-Cabinet briefings, the Minister noted that legislation will come along with amendments to the Public Utilities Act which governs how the sector is regulated. According to Trotman, with technology changing by the hour, the changes in the law are being viewed as a priority for the new administration.
In the coming days, stakeholders including GT&T, Digicel and other others are expected to make their input before the draft is presented to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
Trotman called for the Opposition to become involved in the process.
The Minister also warned that it is too early to say what will be part of the legislation, as the issue is evolving in the face of ongoing consultations.
The Bill seeks to provide the establishment of a telecommunications agency and a regular, coordinated, open and competitive sector and other related matters.
With smartphones, tablets and host of other tech gadgets, including smart TVs, changing the way the world operates, Guyana has not been far behind in terms of catching up.
However, many persons are still without hi-speed internet to maximize their instruments.
Streaming of videos and movies and voice calls are limited with the absence of Fourth Generation and even the more modern communications systems.

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