Innovative services to be placed high on the agenda

PARAMARIBO, SURINAME – September 29, 2010 

On Monday, 27 September last, His Excellency Minister Falisie Pinas was welcomed by Digicel Suriname for a company work visit. During the visit, the Digicel management offered a presentation to the Minister and his delegation about the operations, challenges and prospective plans of Digicel.

The bottlenecks, namely the holding off of the allocation by the TAS of 3G and Wimax broadband frequencies, were also discussed. Minister Pinas promised to make all efforts to make the necessary frequencies available to Digicel within short term and the necessary capacity on the new fiber of Telesur at commercial tariffs such as applied in the region. It fully fits within this Ministry’s policy, i.e. this Government, to offer broad band mobile internet as urgently as possible to various areas in Suriname, including the hinterland. Digicel will be able to fulfill an important leadership role therein according to the Minister. It is high time that there is competition which will benefit the entire Surinamese community.

“As Minister I will make all efforts to provide innovative services not only to the interior but to all parts of Suriname. This demands a restructuring of the Telecommunication Provisions Act. I will also call upon the expertise of Digicel to take a seat in specially designed committees”, remarks Minister Pinas.

The CEO of Digicel Suriname, Philip van Dalsen, was happy with the visit of the Minister more so because it is the first time that Digicel had the pleasure to receive a Minister of TCT. I have indicated to the delegation that our full hope is on the Minister and the government. I do not receive that much from the TAS. In my view, this supervisory unit has not helped telecommunication in Suriname forward. I am sorry to say it but it is a fact, stated the General Manager of Digicel.

“We will do all we can to lift Suriname to a higher level in the field of technology. If there are problems we will look for the solutions. We pursuit a ‘level playing field’ for all   providers. The door to the Ministry of TCT is always open for Digicel”, said Minister Pinas to the Digicel management.

Minister Pinas received a guided tour through the company and was warmly welcomed by the employees. The atmosphere was positive and cheerful.

ABOUT DIGICEL

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com  for more information.