| More than four years after moves were announced to allow new telephone companies to enter the localFinance Minister, Winston Jordanmarket, Government has announced that it will pass critical legislations that will pave the way.On Friday,Cheap Jerseys From China, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, unveiling plans for the administration this year, said that Government will conclude negotiations with ATN and GTT,Wholesale China Jerseys, with a view to bringing to an end the latter’s “claim to a monopoly over international voice and data transmissions and domestic wireline service”.Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) is a US-owned company which, through GTT, has been operating in Guyana for over two decades. It has the monopoly on landline and international calls.However, the move to break the monopoly ran into legal hurdles over four years ago with ATN and its lawyers insisting that there is a contract in place and there must be negotiations.Consecutive governments have been arguing that the delay in allowing new players and the failure to pass telecoms liberalisation laws have been holding back the technological advances for Guyana.For a number of years now, the legislations have been lingering in the National Assembly and its special select committees, with the previous government asking for more time to wrap up negotiations.It appears now that the new laws will finally be in place this year.According to Minister Jordan on Friday, draft legislation—Bills,NFL Jerseys Supply, regulations and model licences– have already been developed that will inform and govern a liberalized telecommunications regime.“The Government is committed to having these Bills tabled and passed this year,” he said.It was only a few days ago that Digicel, which competes with GTT on the mobile market, said it was looking forward to the breaking of the monopoly.In a full page advertisement in Kaieteur News last week, Digicel (Guyana) said that the country “welcomes the end of the GTT phone monopoly”.GTT’s two decades monopoly on landline and international calls is set to be broken this year.Allowing newer players will see faster mobile internet, reduced rates for overseas calls, availability of a quality landline services, higher speed home internet and modern and affordable solutions for businesses, the company promised.The company is readying to land its own fibre-optic cable to bring internet and other data services, similar to what GTT has.The telecommunications business is one of the biggest in the country and has been recording steady growth in recent years especially with the craze over smart phones and other streaming devices.GTT itself has said that it has no problem with new players; that it welcomed competition.Currently, Digicel is its strongest competitor in the mobile market.However, consumers for both Digicel and GTT have been facing several problems with the data speed offered by both companies.This is because the legislation is still in limbo,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, delaying a decision to allow more spectra that will introduce new technologies to allow phone users to even watch YouTube videos or video chat.Digicel said, last week, that the proposed legislation will create competition between companies,NFL Jerseys Authentic, enabling Guyanese to benefit from lower overseas calling rates, faster internet on the mobile, greater choice of services at their residences for internet and landline.“The end of the GTT monopoly will bring significant inward investment into the country, creating hundreds of quality jobs and allowing Guyana to compete on a level playing field with its neighbours.”Digicel, an Irish-owned mobile company with significant presence in the region, insisted that everyone is in favour of ending the monopoly, including GTT.“…So why is the legislation not passed by now and allow all Guyanese to enjoy the same competitive services and lower prices that people in other countries enjoy across the Caribbean?”Minister Cathy Hughes, who has responsibilities for the telecoms industry, said that new legislations remain a priority for the administration.Several companies are also on standby to enter the local market.Currently, because of the absence of spectra, which allows telephone companies to send large packets of data to mobile phones, customers with smart phones using the networks are experiencing slow internet services.With mobile handsets the primary source of internet for thousands,NFL Jerseys From China, the situation is becoming critical.Customers have also been complaining of a number of areas still without landlines, a critical component for DSL internet connection.Digicel wants to enter the landline market as well. |
