By Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterJAMAICANS HAVE been enjoying reduced flat rates to call worldwide since November 1. It is widely anticipated that come March next year, these rates will plunge even further when the telecommunications industry is fully deregulated.
Ahead of March 2003 Carib-Tel Caribbean Limited, a two-year-old Jamaican-owned company, is one of several competitors jostling for markets along with the likes of established international giants Cable and Wireless and Digicel.
Located at 12 Dominica Drive in New Kingston, Carib-Tel was the brainchild of chief executive officer Courtney Betty, a Jamaican, who lived in Canada before returning home to work at the Fair Trading Commission.
Licensed in 2000 before starting operations in September of this year, Carib-Tel, through its Christmas promotion which runs from December 15 to January 1, currently has the cheapest overseas rate on the market $15 to call anywhere in the world anytime at all using its prepaid cards, which are available at post offices islandwide and selected Track Price Plus Limited betting shops.
Outside of its Christmas promotion, Carib-Tel's flat rate stands at $17 per minute, a far cry from Cable and Wireless' 'World Talk' $23 plus tax.
"We're basically operating at a very slim margin, in some cases at cost, trying to garner market share ahead of full deregulation, said operations manager Carlene Wint.
"We decided to sacrifice our margin and treat the period (before full deregulation) as capital investment," she explained.
"We're re-sellers of local and international voice services, selling cards which can be used with land lines and at call boxes."
Carib-Tel, with a staff of 25 employees, has the 'No Problem' card as its flagship 'white card' but has formed partnerships with The Postal Corporation of Jamaica, Supreme Promotions' Sting Reggae Show, Esso's Tiger Mart, Track Price Plus Limited, the Jamaican Bobsled team and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association, emblazoning their logos on rechargeable cards, which also feature five-second promotional messages.
"The information can be changed on a daily basis," Wint pointed out. "The cards have simple instructions on the back, can be kept for a long time and are rechargeable at our alliance partners.
In addition to it's telephone card business, Carib-Tel recently launched another prepaid service, 'Dial 'N' Save', aimed at businesses and householders, positioned to directly compete with Cable and Wireless' ICAS system.
"Our Dial 'N' Save customers are required to initially buy $500 worth of talk time, giving simple information such as telephone number and address before getting 33 minutes with an additional five minutes thrown in as part of our Christmas promotion.
Dial 'N' Save customers are given a six-digit security code and instructions on how to place calls.
"For now, we must go through Cable and Wireless but we are in talks with international carriers, preparing for full deregulation," said Wint. "After that, there'll be no restriction on who we buy our minutes from, savings which we'll be able to pass on to our customers as reduced rates."
