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Telecommunication liberalisation key to Guyana’s development – US Ambassador
By Abena Rockcliffe
United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, has said that the Government of Guyana
United States Ambassador, Perry Holloway
will do well to move swiftly towards liberalising the telecommunications sector. Such liberalisation, he feels, is crucial to the country’s development.
Holloway said this during an interview with Kaieteur News at the United States Embassy, Duke Street Kingston.
Ambassador Holloway said that he in no way, wants to come across as if he is infringing on Guyana’s right to decide what is best for the country.
“I am not getting involved in what is a country’s sovereign right to do. Guyana has the right to decide what is important. But there are areas that we believe are important to the future development of Guyana; for instance telecommunication liberalisation.”
Holloway said that while Guyana is a country with great potential, there are factors that can deter investors from coming here. Listing some of those factors, Holloway pointed out that Guyana has a small market, has the highest kilowatt hour electricity cost in the Caribbean, slow internet “and the telecommunications are not very advanced.”
“Guyanese don’t have 3G on their phones. If you were to talk to both Digicel and GT&T, while they are not always the best of friends, they would tell you that if the government would allocate spectrum, which is the frequencies you need for 3G, they can both have 3G in Georgetown in a month.”
Holloway said that the two companies have already installed the equipment; the basic infrastructure is already there.
“There might be a little adjustment needed to be made, but without the spectrum, it would be against the law (to provide 3G) because no one has received the legal right to operate on the spectrum needed to facilitate 3G.”
The new administration has been facing increasing pressure to pass critical laws that will open up the telecommunications sector for new players and services. Allowing newer players will see faster mobile internet, reduced rates for overseas calls, availability of a quality landline service, higher speed home internet and modern and affordable solutions for businesses, the company promised.
The legislation has been in limbo for five years now, moving between the National Assembly and the players in the industry, GTT and Digicel.
Digicel has been recently stepping up its advertising calling for an end to the telecommunications monopoly so that the company can become a full service provider by offering landlines, TV and innovative business solutions. The company is preparing to land its own fibre-optic cable to bring internet and other data services, similar to what GTT has.
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