Speaking with Caribbean Business Report yesterday Digicel's Group CEO Colm Delves said: "Our initial investment in Haiti was US$130 million and our Chairman Denis O'Brien has committed to investing a further US$50 million.  The response over there has been overwhelming."

Delves would not be drawn on just how many subscribers Digicel has signed up on the island but did say that since its launch there on May 8th 2006 Digicel has seen the fastest ever take-up there than on all the other Caribbean territories it has entered.

"Talk of 400,000 subscribers is grossly exaggerated but I will say that in Jamaica we signed up 100,000 subscribers in our first 100 days and Haiti is on course to do better than that.  We are very pleased with the rate of growth in Haiti and the way things are going there."

On April 28th, 2006 Digicel formally acquired a licence to offer its service in the French Caribbean and began its rebranding exercise there last week.  It now has a presence in French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The telephone company Orange once enjoyed 80 per cent of that market and Digicel is looking to make its presence felt there via its marketing savvy.  This is its first foray outside the English -speaking Caribbean.

"The existing operations there had 160,000 subscribers.  Our initial investment in the French Caribbean is US$25 million and we acquired the licence there from Bouygues Telecom Caraibe for US$200 million," said Delves.

Now in 20 countries Digicel, is truly a Pan-Caribbean company with an investment in the region presently standing at US$1.25 billion.  It now employs 2000 people.

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