With an investment of over US million for the next two years, GTT is committed to providing improved and unbeatable services to its customers on all fronts, and those on the Essequibo Coast can expect to see a massive upgrade of their
GTT CEO Justin Nedd
Internet service by at least 10 times the speed currently available to them.
This was announced by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the local telecommunications giant, Justin Nedd, during its annual Media Cocktail on Friday at Grand Coastal Hotel, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara.
According to Nedd, GTT has shaped the lives of several generations of Guyanese over the past 26 years, particularly as the first provider of Internet service in the country with its dial-up service.
To this end, he explained that the pillar of the company’s objectives going forward in 2017 lay in its high-speed Internet service to both homes and businesses. The CEO explained that since landing the US$13 million undersea cable in 2010, GTT has continually improved Internet service in Guyana and has seen a significant and continued demand over the years.
In this regard, the company is guaranteeing that come June 30 this year, Guyanese will experience the fastest and most affordable Internet service that the country has ever seen. He pointed out that GTT was well-positioned to support Guyana’s drive to bridge the digital divide so that the country could continue grow, thrive and flourish.
“I want to also guarantee that by June 30, 2017 we will have Internet on the Essequibo Coast that’s at minimum 10 times faster than what they get now… I also guarantee that the prices they pay for those services will be competitive and in some respects, more affordable than what is offered now by our competitors,” the CEO declared.
Moreover, he urged customers to provide feedback and identify areas for improvement. Nedd assured that the GTT team would be ready and willing to serve customers and the country as a whole.
However, he noted that the strides made to get to this point were not without challenges, as he reflected on the past year. He said that the company begun laying the foundation for its goals this year in 2016.
Nedd recalled the rapid deployment of 4G mobile data with only two weeks’ notice in time for last year’s Independence Jubilee celebrations. From that upgraded Internet speed, the CEO pointed out, the company really started to see its mobile user-base using more data and getting more accustomed to data even as its technical team grappled with ensuring that the network improved.
“Those upgrades were begun in May and went on until the end of last year and I’m very pleased, I must say, to see our customers being able to stream videos without buffering, play games online and do Whatsapp video chats,” he remarked.
The head of the local telecommunications giant further highlighted that GTT continued the journey of bringing the modern experience to its stores in 2016, with the total revamp of what was previously known as the “Blackberry Store”.
“Now that new store really symbolises our thrust to be better, brighter and faster and I want to say that we will not stop until that is our standard way to get stuff done,” he stated.
He also implored the public to alert the company whenever they witnessed tampering or vandalism of its infrastructure, as this costs the company and would also affect the service provided to customers.
On the business side, Nedd disclosed that in the latter part of 2016 and into 2017, GTT has had several meaningful and substantial conversations with the Government of Guyana, through Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Godfrey Statia. He commended them for their sense of urgency to achieve more.
“We continue to work together to push for liberalisation and to ensure there is a level playing field with current and future competitors; all we want is to operate by the same rules and the same regulations as everybody else. I strongly believe that’s not the case right now,” he outlined.
Moreover, the CEO asserted that another area of importance to the company was working with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in order to get increased landline rates before liberalisation. To this end, he noted that GTT continued to provide the PUC with the requisite information to enable it to make an informed and timely decision on those rates.
“As it relates to the Government and Government agencies, I would say, overall, our dialogue has been very productive and forward moving in most respects,” Nedd opined.
Meanwhile, in order to push its drive to improve services for its customers’ base, GTT has recruited a new Chief Commercial Officer, Peruvian Carlos Mendonza, who brings a wealth of knowledge in the telecommunications sector. He began working last year, and has been the driving force behind many of the company’s guarantees for this year.
