GTT to replace copper landlines with newer technology

Local telecommunications giant, GTT, is looking to replace its traditional copper landline services with a newer technology being offered with its Blaze Internet Package.
This new technology, according to Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd, is as a result of the US$30 million fibre optic cables that the company has invested in over the years.
During a media conference on Tuesday, Nedd told reporters that the landline service from the Blaze package is of way better quality than that of the copper lines.

Chief Executive Officer of GTT Justin Nedd along with other company officials at Tuesday’s press conference

“If as a company we don’t look to constantly improve, we will probably be dead and out of business. The fibre is better and there is no doubt about it. We’re not the first company in the work to do this… If we stayed with copper, yes we will probably make money but then it will not be good enough,” he asserted.
The CEO reminded of the days when dial-up internet and copper lines were exciting but then DSL internet came on stream and improved connectivity. To this end, he noted that the fibre optic cable sees further improvements in these services.
“So it’s just a progression of improving… and we will continue to invest smartly to give our customers the service they want. After all, we’ve been here for 28 years and we’ve gone from no internet to internet provided by satellite to sub-sea cables which we have multiplied probably a thousand times over from 2010 to now so it always about growth and progressing,” Nedd contended.
However, this announcement by the telecommunications boss comes on the heels of an order imposed by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for GTT to issue 350 landlines per quarter every year – something which Nedd said the company has “handsomely beaten”.
Nevertheless, the CEO pointed out that more customers are actually giving up their copper landline services.
“Every time you roll out a Blaze connection, there is a voice connection. So over the last year, we rolled out more than 20,000 voice services (under the Blaze package)… Ultimately, we will provide a service that the customer wants and when you listen to the voice service on Blaze, it’s certainly a much better quality than copper,” he stressed.
According to Nedd, the fibre optic network not only allows for improvements on existing services but also opens the doors for a vast variety of new services such as cable television. In fact, he disclosed that this year, they are working with several partners to roll out this new service.
Already, he noted, there is a new TV box system that offers 100 cable channels including local and popular sports channels. This package, according to the GTT boss, is currently being offered by Gizmos and Gadgets at $2500 per month.
“Again, this is possible with our high-speed fibre optic network… So you will see more of these third-party services being built more on our Blaze network. You’ll see more of those in the coming years,” the CEO posited.
But even as the telecommunications giant is looking to expand its fibre optic network, it continues to be financially burdened with high costs incurred from vandalism. Nedd disclosed that from the last vandalising of its cables, a whopping US$10,000 was spent on labour alone to repair the damages. Against this backdrop, the CEO is calling for stronger penalties against perpetrators, while noting that legal actions are being undertaken against companies whose large vehicles have damaged its cables.
Recapping on 2018, Nedd told media operatives that the year was a challenging but productive one. He noted that in addition to the Blaze service, which continues to grow daily, the company’s mobile money service (MMG) is also proving to be efficient.
Going forward this year, however, he noted that in addition to improving and expanding GTT’s services, the company will also be focusing on the wellbeing of its employees.