GT&T commissions another new cell station
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
December 16, 2006
RESIDENTS of Parika and neighbouring East Bank Essequibo villages can expect a more reliable and improved quality of cellular telephone service with the commissioning yesterday of a US$250,000 GSM transmission facility at Mora.
Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company, Major General (retired) Joe Singh said the new facility is a significant milestone and must not be seen only as a physical infrastructure but as part of the process of national development.
Noting that Parika is an historic terminus and is developing into a commercial centre, Singh said the facility is another stage in the process of integrating Parika with the rest of Guyana through communications.
The site is one in a series of 62 which GT&T plans to establish by April next year, earlier commissioning similar facilities in the Theatre Guild compound in Georgetown and at Land of Canaan on the East Bank Demerara, he said.
Singh also informed the gathering that the facility boasts a standby generator to guarantee the supply of electricity all day long because of sensitive equipment which has to be under air conditioning at all times.
The tower is 160 feet high and transmits in the 900 mega hertz spectrum, he added.
He also reported that over the past decade the company has invested more than US$260M in expanding and improving the quality of its services to customers.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall welcomed the development, saying the facility opens up “enormous possibilities” as technology lays the groundwork for a knowledge-based society which is the direction the world is moving towards.
However, he stressed that having knowledge alone is not helpful, adding, that it is crucial to share it and telecommunications provides a “vehicle” for doing this.
The installation of modern equipment is also of great pertinence as Parika is soon to be declared a township, Mr. Lall observed, disclosing that arrangements are being put in place to merge the two Neighbourhood Democratic Councils within the community towards this end.
BETTER ACCESS
The minister said the quality of life is not measured only by levels of income but access to goods and services as well.
The facility, he said, provides better access to cellular phone service, and as such must be seen in the context “of that larger picture.”
Historically, Guyana has been a producer of primary products, Lall noted, adding that greater access to technology is one means of “getting out of that mode of production.”
He commended GT&T for expanding and improving its service, particularly in light of ensuing competition, and said that Singh with his “aggressiveness” has brought a new profile to the company.
However, the minister cautioned against the misuse of telecommunication facilities, recalling the recent shock of the email terror threat on airlines.
Lall urged residents to be on the lookout and guard against such occurrences.
Chairman of Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Mr. Julius Faeber, endorsing the project, commended GT&T for honouring its commitment to expand and improve its mobile services.
The facility is a good example of putting to use technological advancement, he said.
Director of Sales (Caribbean) of Nortel, Mr. Barry Nugent, said GT&T with whom his company has a fruitful partnership, is among its top five customers in the Caribbean.
He recalled that in 2000 GT&T had 19,000 cell phone subscribers but today that figure has grown to more than 300,000 and the GSM technology being pursued is the correct way to go as it is the predominant technology with some two billion users and 80% of the market share.
Nugent said Nortel has been in existence for more than 100 years and is currently operating in 150 countries, including 47 from Latin America and the Caribbean.