…bandwidth
GT&T was formed way back in 1990 when the Hoyte Government decided to reverse Burnham’s disastrous economic policies and open up the economy to private enterprise. It was formed by an obscure start-up from the US – ATN – that no one had ever heard about. It existed only because the US was just breaking up its telecommunications industry to “liberalise”. “Ma Bell” was broken up into “Baby Bells”, and the fissioning continued like amoeba multiplying!!
But, interestingly, the PNC gave ATN a monopoly here for 20 years, and then the right to renew the contract. So, we were held hostage to the license, while GTT milked us dry to feed its mother company! Think the oil contract was the only one the PNC signed that gave away the store? Look up how GTT plundered us.
But then, as the rest of the world liberalised the telecommunications industry, GTT grudgingly accepted some competition. But only when the new technology of “wireless telephony” was introduced by newcomer Digicel. But they got their pound of flesh by forcing Digicel to pay an “interconnecting” fee that tied down the latter in so many ways. But they say that abused children become abusive parents…and we see this even in the corporate world.
The new PPP Government finally took the bull by the horns last year and passed a law mandating competition across all forms of communication. They realised that we’re now in the third Industrial Revolution, which depends on digital communication. Digicel, however, started fighting the implications of this move by playing dirty pool. First of all, they joined up with their arch foe GTT to stymie the entry of newer entrants like ENetworks – who were opening new vistas in communication via cable and wireless technology like the game-changer 5G.
Then, as soon as the Govt introduced the telecoms law, Digicel illegally squatted on a portion of the spectrum that the Government hadn’t allocated! And, to boot, refused to pay taxes due – to the tune of $1billion! What they’re basically doing is treating Guyana like a Wild West, where anything goes. Fact of the matter is that the telecommunications spectrum is a very valuable commodity that’s owned by the Government and administered by the Guyana Telecommunications Agency (GTA) on behalf of the people.
It’s the prerogative of the GTA to allocate it for the greater good of the Guyanese people. So, imagine the chutzpah of Digicel to now file an injunction against the GTA, to prevent it from allocating the frequency they’re squatting on!!
This just proves the point your Eyewitness made yesterday: the free enterprise system is a dog-eat-dog world.
They take no prisoners! Just have the citizens as hostages.
…the Intermediate Savannahs
Analogous to the American West, with its vast prairies, are our “Guyanese Intermediate Savannahs” in Region 10, adjoining the Berbice River. This distinguishes them, of course, from our “Interior Savannahs” in our Deep South Rupununi. Back in the day, Burnham had decided to open up the Intermediate Savannahs for agriculture – cotton, corn and black eye peas etc, not to mention ruminants like sheep and goats. And pigs.
He chose cotton, which was supposed to supply the Chinese Sanata Fabric Mill at Ruimveldt, which was supposed to “clothe the nation”. The Guyana National Service supplied the man-and-woman power; but, as Rodney said, everything he touched turned to shit, and the Intermediate Savannahs project of Kimbia and albino were no exception.
Well, the PPP have decided to have a go at utilising the Intermediate Savannahs, but, learning from the Brazilian experience, decided to bring in the Private Sector. They did it over the border, and there’s no reason it won’t work here.
The kulak was the wrong vehicle.
…the political space
It would seem that the PNC just can’t seem to get their act together. Hence all those carpetbagger wannabe leaders they are turning out.
After the dust has settled, look out for some mushroom parties!
