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Telecoms Ministry consults companies over inefficient 4G services
There was much excitement and optimism among local consumers when it was announced that fourth generation (4G) services would be introduced to Guyana. However, the services introduced are less than satisfactory.
CEO of Digicel Guyana, Kevin Kelly
This reality almost instantaneously dissolved the excitement, and many have been complaining that they are basically accessing 3G services whilst paying for 4G.
However, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes is convinced that that situation will soon change. Hughes said that she is engaged in regular discussions with both telephone companies.
She said that she had dialogue with Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) on Thursday and will be speaking with Digicel today.
“I always like to say that I am a customer too. So I too have to deal with the challenges of dropped calls and systems going down quite often. I told them about it,” said Hughes.
“In fairness to them we really gave them a short time to put out 4G. I had a situation where we were having thousands of people coming to Guyana in the month of May and to put in Guyanese parallels I said to them, ‘Please go see what you can do.”
Hughes mentioned that because of the rush, the companies therefore are now really “digging in” to provide the service to the satisfactory of customers.
“It means importing specific pieces of equipment, retraining and all those things. But, I am confident that with my constant interface with them that this is a period of transition and what we are experiencing now, come by the end of the year it is going to be chalk and cheese.”
GTT’s CEO, Justin Nedd
“I met with GTT and I have received those assurances.”
When GTT launched its 4G service, customers were promised 30 times the speed at the same price for customers. The roll out of the service came two days after rival Digicel unveiled the service.
GTT Chief Commercial Officer, Gert Post, said that the 4G service would enable faster downloading and mobile web surfing and he noted that Guyanese can live stream videos, such as persons attending upcoming independence jubilee shows.
Post said that the service offers up to three times more data but for the same price for the plans, so that customers can enjoy the new service without having to pay more on any premium or any 4G or 3G data plans.
Post also commented on the fact that with 4G, customers will use the data plan more and so the company would not force them to buy minutes for SMS. He said persons will want the high speed data and they would pay for it but they won’t want to overpay for it.
Speaking at the launch of the company’s superfast 4G network in the mining town of Bartica Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Guyana, Kevin Kelly, promised that the Guyanese customer would benefit big.
Kelly said liberalization of the sector would bring many benefits to Digicel customers here, including cheaper
Telecoms Minister,
Cathy Hughes
international calls, internet use in the home, and introduction of landline service.
He said that 24 hours prior to the launch of the 4G, the company received the go-ahead from Hughes, to unveil the service.
“We are going to keep current value as they are, free calls and free texts along with cheaper megabytes”, he said. (Abena Rockcliffe- Campbell)
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