GT&T commits to national development with massive expansion works
- President wants to resolve legacy issues
Kaieteur News
March 22, 2007
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company has unveiled a number of works as part of a massive plan to improve its service, especially in the hinterland communities.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GT&T, Major General (Retired) Joseph Singh said that by the end of April, the company would have turned up service at two other GSM locations - Windsor Forest and Fyrish - and landline facilities in the Diamond/Grove area.
Singh said that in the remote hinterland communities, GT&T has been researching with overseas vendors to acquire the appropriate V-Sat systems that will allow for telecenters to be established, offering voice and data services at core villages such as Aishalton, Annai, Paramakatoi, Kamarang.
These facilities should also significantly benefit projects such as at the Iwokrama Rainforest Field Station and Masakenari in the South, the core of the Wai Wai community-owned conservation area.
“Such services will facilitate execution of project-oriented activities funded through bilateral arrangements such as capacity building, enterprise development and business partnerships, alternative energy development, appropriate technology, scientific research and distance learning, emphasising academic and vocational packaged programmes.
“Provision of online social services and aid in the monitoring, regulatory and enforcement activities are also to be provided,” Singh noted.
He said that later this month, GT&T will be reviewing a proposal engineered by I-Direct, a company that has a lot of experience of such deployment, and Intelsat as the partner satellite bandwidth provider.
“We shall be inviting the Government of Guyana officials, and the donor agencies and NGOs that are partnering the government and community-based organisations in developmental projects, to attend the presentation so that hopefully we can secure their buy-in to be able to partner GT&T in mobilising, in a collaborative way, the funding necessary to procure, deploy and sustain such a network,” Singh said.
However, President Jagdeo, who has been critical of the service provided by the telephone company, said that he has nothing against GT&T but expressed an appreciation for working with both cellular phone providers to ensure that Guyanese benefit from the best possible service.
“In the telecommunication sector I want a reliable system, a competitive system. I want a system that will give the best to my people. I will keep pushing for that goal…Yes, there are legacy issues that we still have to sort out in order for our ICT programme to be successful,” President Jagdeo noted.
Singh pointed out that the legacy issues may have inhibited the relationship between the government and GT&T.
“I respectfully counsel, let us be imbued with a positive attitude to resolve these legacy issues and the implementation of the ICT strategy in a creative way, so that our joint and collaborative efforts can and will redound to the benefit of Guyana,” Singh alluded.
GT&T is currently researching with its partners in the Americas II international submarine cable and seeking opportunities for increasing bandwidth capacity.
The company is also looking at investing in an alternative submarine fibre optic cable linked to Trinidad or Barbados that would increase bandwidth, and integrate with the requirements of Guyana's National Information Technology strategy at more affordable costs.
“If this is successful, hopefully within a two-year time frame we will not be at the mercy of breakdowns of our only viable international fibre connection to the outside world via Suriname and French Guiana, which compromises our international connectivity much to the frustration of GT&T and our customers,” Singh alluded.
He added that the company has been doing serious work to upgrade the network and operations support with modern technology that is sustainable and robust enough to cater for the dynamics of aggressive marketing and sales promotions.
Over the past month, GT&T has put into operation additional GSM sites at Planter's Hall, Ann's Grove, and Enterprise.
The company also has a composite GSM/landline site at Belladrum which will be turned up in early May, while civil engineering works are in progress on GSM sites at Kuru Kururu, Supenaam and Queenstown on the Essequibo Coast, and at Philippi in the Upper Mazaruni.
Additionally, GT&T said that it has completed the civil engineering works at Mahdia for a GSM facility and the components for a 400-foot tower are already on site to be erected as soon as tower riggers are in place.
Singh said that this year the GT&T is also planning to establish GSM facilities at Kwakwani, Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Leguan and to augment existing GSM facilities at Bartica.
“In addition, we have decided, after looking at three options offering wireless voice and data services, to commence (this year) the change out of our Fixed Wireless Access network on the Essequibo Coast, using a technology which is scalable, reliable and sustainable,” Singh stated.
He added that the company is also building a national telecommunications stock of infrastructure that could withstand the natural disasters faced in 2005 and 2006.
Singh noted that the company is seeking to cement its relationship with Guyanese customers through an aggressive marketing and sales strategy that will focus on improving customer care and services.
The company is also expanding international linkages through roaming agreements and developing synergies with other utilities, such as GPL, to cut down on the theft of copper.