McPherse Thompson, Assistant Financial News Editor
N5 SYSTEMS, the local telecommunications provider granted a licence under controversial circumstances more than two years ago to operate an islandwide wireless subscriber television system, said the service has been "up and running" and they were now seeking to expand into other areas.
So far, N5 Systems has covered sections of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Catherine and Clarendon, said Barry Raglan, the company's managing director.
"We have a few hundred customers," he said, adding that the company already had 12 fully digitised video channels and they were now looking to expand both the channel count as well as the infrastructure into other areas, including Mandeville in Manchester and the second city of Montego Bay, St. James.
Mr. Raglan, explaining that the system was of a quality unmatched by any other subscriber television operator, said it also delivered high-speed Internet access "and we have a channel reserved for the Ministry of Education. It's a matter of them putting programmes on that channel," he said.
In June 2000, the Government announced that it has decided to grant the only wireless subscriber television licence to N5 Systems, based on the recommendation of the Broadcasting Commission.
The company was selected over two major contenders Jamaica Entertainment Choice, led by Radio Jamaica (RJR), and Super Cable, which was majority-owned by CVM Television. Both RJR and CVM TV were each already operating a national television station at the time they made the application, but the Broadcasting Commission said it found they failed to meet the eligibility criteria for obtaining the wireless licence.
Then Minister of Information, Maxine Henry-Wilson, said the principal directors of N5 Systems had extensive experience in telecommunication systems design and planning, as well as in software development and network design. She also said the directors included Jamaicans overseas, who were seeking investment opportunities locally.
N5 Systems later entered into an agreement with Finline Technologies, a Canadian-based firm, to assist in setting up the operation. Both parties were to work together to deploy a comprehensive Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS) wireless digital broadband network, to provide digital subscriber television, interactive subscriber television, broadband data, high-speed Internet and other interactive services.
Mr. Raglan said that agreement has since fallen through, but N5 Systems would be continuing its expansion drive with a view to ensure coverage even in areas where traditional subscriber television operators have not been able to offer the service.
