By Al Edwards, Business Co-ordinatorCABLE & WIRELESS West Indies has signed an agreement with Nortel Networks to invest about US$104 million (J$5 billion) over three years in an advanced mobile network throughout the region.
The network will be employed on a phased basis and will serve customers in 12 islands including Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Barbados in April 2003.
Jamaica will account for 67 per cent of the US$104 million with the Cayman Islands budget accounting for 10 per cent. The announcement was made yesterday by Cable & Wireless West Indies' chief executive officer, Errald Miller at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, in Kingston.
"To accomplish the enhancement of our network, Cable & Wireless has decided to partner with Nortel Networks," he said. "Nortel Networks will provide equipment and services valued at approximately US$104 million (J$5 billion)."
The investment will encompass a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and its existing Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.
"A lot of this (investment) is incremental to our capital spent each year," Mr. Miller said. "Nortel will provide a comprehensive Univity packet core network and radio access equipment to seamlessly integrate Cable & Wireless' existing TDMA network in the Caribbean with a GSM infrastructure. The new network will also include implementation of GPRS and Enhanced Data GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology as the next step towards third generation (3G)," Mr. Miller said.
In integrating its GSM network with its existing TDMA network, Cable & Wireless is employing a strategy similar to that used by companies like AT&T, Rodgers in Canada and Telcel in Mexico.
Cable & Wireless' chief executive officer made it clear that this upgrade would now significantly improve coverage, and provide a number of new services including voice capacity, new handsets with tri-mode capability, international roaming capability including both the US and Europe and 3-G compatibility.
Nortel Networks President for the Americas, Gary Donahee said that some of the services that can be supported on the GSM network include GPRS-Data speeds up to 384K for the provision of Mobile Data Services.
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