In a press release last week, it said the upgrading is expected to ensure that acceptable service to existing and would be cellular customers.

Customers have for months been complaining about poor service, including being unable to make calls.

GT&T said new cell sites are being established at New Hope, at the Earth Station on Thomas Lands and at Vreed-en-Hoop, in addition to expanded facilities at all other existing sites.

Construction has also started on the towers and other ancillary facilities, and the equipment being supplied by Nortel will arrive later this month, the firm said.

It explained that the expansion of mobile capacity is complex, time-consuming and disruptive and as is normal, when construction work commences on the new cell sites, there will inevitably be continued degradation in the service.

This, it said, has been experienced by cellular customers around Georgetown and New Amsterdam from time to time.

GT&T is appealing to its customers to bear with it during this period of construction, installation and testing, and has assured that once the cell sites are commissioned, quality service will be restored.

It said it is moving to ensure that no future pressure is placed on the cellular network.

According to the release, the company has determined that if service is to be acceptable, it is impractical to put all new subscribers on to the system before the voice channels are turned up on the new cell sites.

GT&T said it recognises the inconvenience the delay will cause to would-be customers, but is asking that they appreciate that the company's only consideration is the provision of an acceptable quality service to them.