Digicel applied for Telecom Licence in 2005

 By Mellica McPherson

 Speculations concerning whether or not popular cellular phone company Digicel will be one of the corporations operating in the BVI once the Territory’s Telecommunications Regulating Commission (TRC) has been established were corroborated by information divulged at the 3 October sitting of the Legislative Council, during a question and answer segment.

Although in his answer to the question of “whether the Ministry has in its possession an application from Digicel for the provision of Telecommunications services,” the Minister responsible for Communications and Works, Hon. Elmore Stoutt did not actually say that Digicel will be operating in the BVI, nevertheless, he did confirm that the Ministry of Communications and Works did receive an application from that company.

Hon. Stoutt told the Council that during the 21 September Sitting of the Council, a question was asked concerning the companies that applied for licences to provide telecommunications service in the Territory. According to the Minister, the research at that time only revealed the two companies that were named during that Sitting — Virgin Media and CCT Global Communications.

On Tuesday, the Minister mentioned that after further review of the telecommunications files in the Ministry of Communications and Works, to confirm whether or not an application was received from Digicel, a copy of a letter dated 2 September, 2005  addressed to the Chief Minister was found. Hon. Stoutt divulged that the sender of the letter was Digicel and that the company used that document to state ”their gratitude to the Chief Minister for affording them the opportunity to present to his Cabinet, on 1 September, 2005, a proposal for a world class telecommunications network in the BVI.” Minister Stoutt informed that an application for a mobile and international voice and data licence in the BVI was also included in the letter that was submitted by Digicel, and that a further search within the Ministry also revealed a copy of the proposal presented to the Cabinet on 1 September, 2005.

Nonetheless the Minister assured the Council that all applications received by the Ministry for telecommunications licences will be forwarded to the TRC for review by the Chief Executive.

In a supplementary question, the Representative for the Third District enquired whether the Ministry has received any other applications for licence since the questions were asked. The Minister informed the House that another application was received on 2 October, but he said that he could not remember who the sender was.