The American firm was on Tuesday granted three licences to offer cellular services in Jamaica and says it plans to begin offering services in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril.

After almost three years of negotiations AT&T on Tuesday finally signed an agreement to operate in Jamaica.

Under the four year agreement the American firm should pay the Government 360-million Jamaican dollars within the next 14 days.

Speaking at Tuesday morning's ceremony to hand over the licences to AT&T Minister of Technology Phillip Paulwell said the company is to invest one billion Jamaican dollars in the next 12 months to establish its network.

According to Mr. Paulwell the American firm will assist in marketing Jamaica to its more than 40-million subscribers in the United States and Canada.

The company has also agreed to assist in the recently launched e-learning programme which is designed to improve access to distance learning for some schools.

But it is in the area of technology that Mr. Paulwell expects AT&T to have its greatest impact.

And speaking at Tuesday morning's ceremony Manager of Business Development at AT&T Carmen Forsman noted that Jamaica is the 16th Caribbean Country in which the telecommunications giant will operate.

According to Ms. Forsman AT&T will concentrate on areas not fully serviced by the three other cellular providers now operating in Jamaica.

AT&T Wireless is the fourth company licensed as a wireless phone service provider in Jamaica.

It will join Cable and Wireless, Digicel and Oceanic Digital in providing cellular service at a time when it's estimated that 1.9-million persons in the population of 2.6-million already have access to land lines or cellular phones.

In the meantime Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell on Tuesday defended the price which AT&T has paid for its cellular licences.

The American firm is paying far less than the amounts paid by Digicel and Oceanic Digital for their licences.

But Mr. Paulwell says the amount paid by AT&T is more than the Government had expected.

He says it will cost AT&T more than the other providers to establish its network.

He was supported by opposition spokesman on technology Russell Hadeed who said while he would have liked the Government to collect more for the license he understands the reality of the situation.

Since it was announced that AT&T would be paying 360-million dollars for its operating license, players in the technology sector have argued that the American firm was been given an unfair advantage in entering the Jamaican market.

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