World Dialogue on Regulation

Mobile operator Digicel has signed an interconnection agreement with Suriname’s state-owned operator Telesur. Digicel was awarded a license in April and has spent several months negotiating with Telesur.

"We are delighted to at last sign this interconnection agreement with Telesur and applaud the commitment of (telecoms authority) TAS who fully supervised discussions during the past week," Digicel Suriname's CEO Philip van Dalsen said.

Van Dalsen said both parties agreed that Digicel would order and deliver the equipment needed to prepare the Telesur network for interconnection.

"Because of our good relationship with our suppliers, we are confident the equipment will arrive in Suriname within a few days so people don't have to wait any longer," van Dalsen said.

Once Digicel's and Telesur's networks are interconnected, there will be a testing period of approximately ten days. The agreement to have Digicel take charge of the necessary equipment is likely a relief to the operator given the delays Digicel dealt with in Trinidad & Tobago (T&T).

Digicel and TSTT, the T&T incumbent operator, have been working through a legal dispute since Digicel entered the market in mid-2005. Digicel originally planned to start operating by the end of 2005, but TSTT did not receive interconnection equipment until early 2006 and Digicel also ended up buying equipment to ensure interconnection. Despite being physically interconnected as of March 2006, the parties have been unable to reach a final interconnection agreement. This situation caused T&T’s telecommunications regulator TATT to set up an arbitration panel to act as an intermediary in the interconnection negotiations.

Source: Business News Americas - WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News.