DIGICEL GROUP, the fastest growing mobile telecommunications provider in the Caribbean, announced yesterday, that it is the first company to be awarded a license to operate a GSM network in Haiti. This significant milestone for the company comes as a result of a tender process entered jointly with OneFone, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Haitian GB Group.
Digicel Haiti will offer innovative and accessible mobile services that meet consumers' evolving demands and aim to create positive competition and value for local customers.
With the addition of operations in Haiti, Digicel will now operate in nine countries, with a total population of over 12 million people. Digicel spans the entire Caribbean region from the Cayman Islands to Barbados and Aruba.
"Digicel is ... the first company to be awarded a licence to operate a GSM network in Haiti," Denis O'Brien, chairman of Digicel Group, stated. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Digicel for further expansion."
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Haiti currently has three operators in the market that offer CDMA and TDMA networks to approximately 400,000 subscribers, including mobile and fixed line.
Digicel has operations in Aruba, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and St. Lucia and is committed to creating a seamless pan-Caribbean network. Digicel's introduction of modern services, such as rollover minutes, pre-paid roaming, and 'Call Me' free text messaging, continues to differentiate the company, while it maintains an average market share of 60 per cent across its countries of operation.
Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the largest GSM mobile operator in the region.
The GB Group is one of the largest industrial and commercial concerns in Haiti. With a combined workforce of 2000, these companies maintain a significant presence in several key strategic sectors, such as building materials, edible oil, petroleum products, consumer products, construction, financial services and telecoms solutions.
