AT&T coming to Jamaica

[death_knight]

i've been hearing word of AT&T's plans to come to jamaica as a mobile phone operation company, ???not sure where lan lines are concerned, does anybody else know of this ???.please tell me about the whole scenario. when will they be comming to jamaica etc.

[igodit]

It has been in the news, for quite sometime now, North America telecom giant AT&T has entered the Jamaica market to provide mobile services. Initially the service will be offered to target American visitors to Jamaica in Mobay, Negril and Ocho Rios.

Local service providers Digicel and Oceanic Digital has argued that the cost for the operating license in the amount of $310 million was far less expensive compared to what they had paid. So called Minister of Technology Phillip Paulwell has defended the cost, by saying the telco giant would have overheads in their initial setup costs. Personally who cares, they should be charged just the same they are a "Telecommunications Gaint", this would lead us to assume that our Minister of 'technology' is geting some kind of kickbacks from this deal. >:(

That is how we live out here people, poor man want a break so we tax dem, rich man want a ting "Yes Massa as long as yuh a grease mi palm..."

[death_knight]

thanks for the info igodit. as you know everthing in jamaica that involve a politicion is a shady deal man. those bastard trying to follow haiti's fut steps. ne way i just intrested cause i figue they'll (att) will have some more reasonable plans and rates that digicel "hopefully".

[Kiwami]

:o somebody got paid!

[Virus_NCU]

The phone they brought to display was soo two years ago. I wonder what they take jamaica for, people stop walking with calculator screen seamens. They need to come with some new handsets. ???

[death_knight]

what dem hear bout virus_NCU we not into the brick phone technology anymore, them better come with better phones or they can forget about me as a customer. and i really find that odd that they would show ugly phones when they're introducing thier selves, very unusual i would say. i would expect the latest in mobile technology.

[Nastrodamus]

If they try to invest in this market with older technology, it will only be to their detriment.

Jamaican's young and old have a fancy for new technology, whether we utilize it or not. It would not be profitable for them to sell handsets with low end technology. No Jamaican (in their right mind) would give up the newer technolgy for an older one. Unless AT&T has some irresistable service plans.

[Billy The Kid]

This is just an opinion 8).

I dont think we should be too hard on AT&T about the price they had to pay for their license. Centennial paid too much for their license ( dont remember to exact amount) why Digicel should have paid more for theirs.

Why? Well it is normal that after a monopoly (C&W) is brokes the competing entrant (Digicel) into the market will realize high revenues (not profit) even much higher that the previuos monopoly. This is because people loves changes (we did well fed up wid C&W inability to provide an efficient mobile service). I guess you would want to the question, why has Gotel not taken over the land lines market? One example is GodKids Gotel Diary and the numerous reply strings for other users and sympathisers.
Back to the point.

In came the third mobile company(Centennial). A little competion is always good, but not when you pay too much to enter a now completly C&W hating, Digicel loving market, and not being able to expand fast enough to compete of customers. They had to sell out to Oceanic Digital.

AT&T was wise in refusing the iniatial offers and those in the market now should not blame the Minister but laud the AT&T negotiating team in pulling this deal off.

The question should be will AT&T be able to compete with resurgence of C&W, the ever growing Digicel and the very low cost of Oceanic Digital. ::)

[Ropy]

AT&T was wise in refusing the iniatial offers and those in the market now should not blame the Minister but laud the AT&T negotiating team in pulling this deal off.


FYI: The requested amount by the Minister from AT&T was always J$300m.

[Billy The Kid]

FYI: The requested amount by the Minister from AT&T was always J$300m.


I am not so sure about that Ropy. But to be on the safe side I will not say you are wrong. But y did AT&T turn down the initial offer and what was the first offer?

[death_knight]

i'm tellling you "billy the kid" it's just a shady deal as usual. somebody get a little extra pocket money out of it all, this is the general culture or nature of our countries politicians, it is also why we're probably heading for a haiti situation.

[igodit]

Kickback$

[Billy The Kid]

i'm tellling you "billy the kid" it's just a shady deal as usual. somebody get a little extra pocket money out of it all, this is the general culture or nature of our countries politicians, it is also why we're probably heading for a haiti situation.


Well, well this is kinda a sticky point, brings back memories of Netserv

As you say its the culture and nature of this country.

But we must also look at the reported facts.

The government initially wanted US$50m for a 15 year contract form AT&T, the same amount paid by Digicel and Centennial. Now AT&T turned them down and they have been at the bargaining table for quite some time. They finally came up with a US$6m over 4 years plus the marketing of Jamaica as a tourism destinationin the US and investment worth millions in J$.

It look like something into something :-X

[ProdMaster]

The phone they brought to display was soo two years ago. I wonder what they take jamaica for, people stop walking with calculator screen seamens. They need to come with some new handsets. ???


Well they wont be getting me to buy no walkie talkie phone! ;D

[death_knight]

yea of course "billy the kid" thats always the case with this country, most of the times deals that involves this countries finances seem to leave the politicians or the over see-ers of that particular deal as the benifactors and not the country.
i cant stand it
>:( >:( >:(

[CCIE]

This is my 2 cents on this also. AT&T are going through hard times. They have no cash flow in the US and UK and financial analysts predict a down turn for them in the next 2 years. They need to turn investments around fast. For all of you who think AT&T move will be great then you have another thing coming. They have laid off all there testing people all over the US and UK. They were in partnership with BT and broke it because they cannot fund their side.

I wouldnt work for AT&T even if they pay me £100000 a year because it would be a 2 year job the most. I wish Jamaica luck on this the move might work out positive but AT&T WILL become the next bankrupt telco like WorlCOM.

[tech_guru]

I wish Jamaica luck on this the move might work out positive but AT&T WILL become the next bankrupt telco like WorlCOM.


Personally I hope they will be profitable and remain over the long term...Chiefly because I want to see them become a viable opponent to C&W in the Teleco market, bringing some competition to the market ultimately driving down costs for the consumers...

[Cler1c]

lets be real ppl and not tek show off, you kno wthe saying "Play hero end up zero". how wealthy are we that we would trun down how much pound a year jus cus we believe the job only gonna last 2 years. please !!!!
Bsides are we forgetting that its not necessarily AT&T that we will be welcoming but telecommunications giant "Cingular mobile" ah ha ... forgot about that deal dint we. i mean im sure yea it'll say AT&T but the real ppl spear heading it will be the good folks at cingular and im sure their gonna move wisely into this here market.
and i mean personally with the whole better technology philosophy ... a couple of us here give up that luxury fi lil free net pon wi laptop and desktop. did we forget this. i mena lets see wouldnt u drop a camera fone for free nites and weekends and a green screen handheld at reasonable price.
yea u would you know it. so lets remember ppl we talk the talk but we walk the mile for DEALS !!!

[GPRS Internet]

it is goin to be at&cwj ;D

[Cler1c]

hey u know wat we really need .. a good house fone plan .... mi sick of using di fone and ppl a watch u a talk bout ... "is local call right" .... i mean sure it should cost but dammit.

[Cunt-ry Bwoi]

I guess if i hold my breath long enough hey may just reah here one day. LOL

[Boo]

Well Cingular bought AT&T Wireless entity including Caribbean operations and Cingular sells Caribbean Network to Digicel...I'd bet you'll be holding your breath for a VERY long time :icon_lol:

[jamerican]

Well Cingular bought AT&T Wireless entity including Caribbean operations and Cingular sells Caribbean Network to Digicel...I'd bet you'll be holding your breath for a VERY long time :icon_lol:
Digicel the big boss

[THE DON]

daty i love my digicel

[helpless]

i heard they were trying to sell back their liscense

[slickrik]

that so......to who?

[Dickey]

AT&T sold out to Cingular and Cingular handed back the license to the Jamaican Government who is now taking bids on it again.
2 companies are now in the bid for it.
Good thing is, Jamaica got to keep the money paid to them by AT&T.

[FRANCIS EXPRESS CELL. REP]

dream on jamaicans hear say

[slickrik]

when i see it happen then i'll beleive...

[nove1398]

if at&t really reaches down here i dont think it wud be all bad maybe specil offers for new sign ups for like a 3month or suh :) yuh seet cuz dem want customer but it all depends on their gprs and phpone charges ;)

[Arch_Angel]

AT&T sold out to Cingular and Cingular handed back the license to the Jamaican Government who is now taking bids on it again.Digicel bought Cingular's Carribean operations. Don't know about the license being given back to government.

http://www.techjamaica.com/content/view/935/50/

Why we talking about this? This is old news people.