By Monique Hepburn, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
AT&T, THE world's largest wireless provider, is moving to expand its customer base by targeting Jamaica's tourism market.
Within the next eight months, visitors will have access to greater roaming capabilities when they visit the island on business or vacation.
"The business proposition that AT&T Wireless sees at this point in time, is the roam-only network, which will service the huge numbers of travellers who come to Jamaica for business as well as for pleasure," said Sidney Roberts, director of engineering at AT&T Wireless.
MATURE MOBILE NETWORK
"Jamaica is a very mature mobile network and as such we will not be selling devices or local service."
He was speaking at the unveiling of his company's information technology partnership with the St. James Parish Council on Wednes-day, at the Wexford Court Hotel in Montego Bay. Some 30 computers will be donated to the Parish Council at a cost of $3 million, for use by children 12-years-old and under.
The partnership is intended to grant children in St. James more exposure to computers and the Internet. The programme will be hosted in the council building and is slated to begin in September.
According to Mr. Roberts, AT&T Wireless will initially set up operations in the resort towns of Montego Bay and Ocho Rios with the primary aim of capitalising on these untapped markets, which will include cruise ship passengers. He explained that he was currently in discussions with existing service providers with the aim of having them allowing AT&T to have their antennas hosted on their poles.
EXISTING STRUCTURES
"We are working with incumbents (existing providers) and we are making some progress as a large fraction of the stations in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios will be on existing poles and structures," Mr. Roberts explained.
He said: "Mobile towers are not beautiful structures and all around the region, I try to make use of existing structures in the form of buildings and mother poles so that we can host our antennae on existing facilities to mitigate the requirement for individual greenfield (undeveloped) sites."
With more than 45 million GSM customers, AT&T Wireless will be investing US$5 million ($305 million) in infrastructure and civil equipment to launch the venture. Service begins in March 2005.
