C&W to spend $6b on local investment pr ogramme

Barrow

CABLE & Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ) will be spending some $6 billion during the course of this year as part of its investment programme to bring what the company said were the latest, best and most reliable technologies to Jamaica.

Among the areas targeted for significant development this year, said C&WJ's president Gary Barrow, are the expansion of the company's ATM network, enhancements to the frame relay network, and the roll-out, in the third quarter, of its high speed Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), which will allow access to the Internet at much higher speeds.

Mr. Barrow was speaking at the opening of C&WJ's third annual two-day technology showcase under the theme, "Beyond the Horizon", at Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston on Tuesday.

Noting what he said were significant enhancement to the company's data, Internet provider and Internet services, Mr. Barrow said that "for those of you who are customers of our Internet service, you can rest assured that you are getting the best service available in Jamaica."

He said many of the benefits from the development of the data services would be realised through regional synergies that would facilitate C&WJ introducing those products and services with competitive pricing in a most efficient manner.

Later, during a presentation on Cable & Wireless' transformation, chief executive officer for the company's West Indies operation, Errald Miller, announced that the telecommunications carrier would be merging its business ventures in the region into a single entity by October, this year.

Against the background of the introduction of competition in the island's mobile telephone market with the entry of Digicel in April, this year, Mr. Barrow used the opportunity to express "gratitude to those of you who have remained loyal during a very difficult time in the provision of cellular services in Jamaica, particularly during aggressive upgrading activities which sometimes show up the imperfection of some cutting-edge technology."

According to the C&WJ president, "it was not so long ago that we went through similar experiences in our World Talk services and to a lesser extent our Internet service." However, he said "today these services are world class," and "we intend to do the same with our mobile services."

He pointed out that in January, this year, C&WJ started an expenditure programme of more than $2.2 billion dollars to upgrade the company's network. That expenditure, he explained, is intended to improve capacity, reliability and coverage as well as allow for the introduction of a number of new and exciting features. The first phase is slated for completion by September, and will see an additional 2,362 voice channels and 31 new cell sites.

Mr. Barrow said he was committed to making C&WJ the leader in providing quality products and services that would meet and exceed the expectations of its customers, and he would shortly initiate a full-time campaign aimed at realising that objective.

The technology showcase brought together C&WJ's major suppliers and technology partners from Jamaica, other areas of the Caribbean and the United States, who displayed leading-edge, cost-effective solutions free of charge to local businesses.

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