In a release issued this week, Digicel declared that it ended the year 2006 with a total investment in the Caribbean region exceeding US$1.5 billion and now operates in 22 markets with four million customers, representing a subscriber growth in excess of 100 per cent.

Jamaica
Digicel Jamaica celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2006 recording 1.6 million customers by year-end. Digicel Jamaica's CEO David Hall said: "I want to commend the Digicel teams for its ongoing commitment to providing superior customer care service to customers. This highly professional and customer-centric focus of our team, have earned the love and respect of the Jamaican people."

Digicel has for the eighth consecutive quarter, been ranked as the leading customer service company in Jamaica, according to an independent survey conducted by Market Research Limited. For the second time in three years, Digicel also won the Entrepreneurial Award from the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce for top performance in successful marketing, business expansion and innovative business practices.

Hall particularly wanted to showcase the work done by its non-profit arm, the Digicel Foundation, which helps to build communities through education, social and cultural initiatives.

In 2006, 16 community projects were completed across Jamaica. Among the National Projects undertaken by the Digicel Foundation last year were the J$10.3-million Hope Gardens Restoration Project, which will be completed by March 2007 and the J$5-million refurbishing and upgrading of the National Meteorological Service which received severe infrastructural damage during Hurricane Ivan.

Establishing a presence throughout the Caribbean
Last year saw Digicel establishing a presence in Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Turks & Caicos, Guyana, Bonaire and acquired existing operations in Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guinea.

Haiti, with a population of 8.5 million, remains Digicel's biggest market. Launched in May 2006, it already has one million customers in a country with both a fixed and cellular penetration of 5.7 per cent. Last year Digicel invested US$260 million in Haiti.

Acquisitions in 2006
In October of last year, Digicel acquired El Salvador mobile operator Digicel Holdings Limited, thus making a foray into the growing Central American mobile phone market.
The following month Digicel acquired U Mobile in Guyana and has plans to re-brand that business later this year. The year 2006 also saw Digicel acquiring Bouygues Telecom Caribe, thereby taking the brand into the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana.

Digicel now employs 3,000 people throughout its Caribbean operations and last year introduced a company-wide employee share option programme.

Digicel goes to the capital markets
In August Digicel closed a US$150 million bond offering led by investment banks Citigroup and JP Morgan to assist in financing its businesses in Haiti and Trinidad Tobago.

Since Digicel launched its operations in 2001, it now records an average annual compound growth rate of 1432 per cent. The company's measurement of its active subscriber base is done by having a subscriber only being defined as " active" if that subscriber had a chargeable event in the last 30 days.

Digicel's CEO Colm Delves said: "Digicel's progress in 2006 reinforced our position as the largest GSM provider in the Caribbean region, with sustained growth in our existing markets and unrivalled growth through our entrance into new markets, such as Haiti, Trinidad Tobago, Guyana and El Salvador."

article link