Digicel (Guyana) wins approval for new fibre-optic cable

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 October 2014, 2:17 by GxMedia

The Guyana government is poised to grant Digicel (Guyana) Limited approval to run a submarine fibre-optic cable that would see mobile phone subscribers getting a higher quality service and the company investing in a number of other areas.

The first signal that the government was about to formally inform the phone company of its decision came last Friday from Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Awards Dinner.

“Now, Digicel has applied to bring in another cable and I think the government has given them permission,” he said.

Digicel (Guyana), Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean would only say that his company and government were still in discussions.

Well-placed sources said when the phone company gets approval, talks would still have to be held with the Transport Ministry,  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Department to ensure that the cable would not impact on shipping lanes and fishing grounds.

Sources have said that Digicel plans to use the fibre-optic cable to upgrade its Smartphone service, offer high-speed Internet and sell Business Solutuons.

Like the Former Guyanese leader, the official expects that with more choices for bandwidth, Internet costs should reduce and connectivity improve.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and the Guyana government have already landed two submarine cables.

Jagdeo said that government’s ICT policy included the provision of Internet for  e-governance, and  free public wifi to allow Guyanese to interface freely on the networks. In the case of the scattered Amerindian villages, he said that 100 hubs are being built in those communities to facilitate Internet acess.