MOSSEL (Jamaica) Limited will begin, as of today, to trade under the name Digicel.Seamus Lynch, chief operations officer of Digicel, said, "We have identified a brand name that says we are 100 per cent digital with a look that is warm, friendly, bold and bright. This is another step in bringing GSM to Jamaica.
"Our first step was to explain to the public how more advanced the GSM system is in mobile technology than what is currently available. GSM is the system used by over 70 per cent of the world's mobile customers in 160 countries and offers secure encrypted connections that has never been cloned.
"The wide availability of GSM will therefore allow Jamaicans to use their GSM handset in over 8,000 cities in the United States including Miami, Atlanta and New York and also all over Europe and very soon throughout the Caribbean.
"Extensive market research has told us that customers want a dependable secure service, choice, excellent customer care and value for money. Those choices will now be known as 'Digicel'."
Digicel's launch is planned for the first quarter of this year. Network testing and business simulation will begin soon to ensure that at launch Digicel will provide unparalleled mobile service to Jamaica.
They will introduce state-of-the-art mobile phone handsets which when coupled with the network features available only on GSM will give Jamaican consumers a real choice.
Incomparable service
Asked whether he expected many people to switch network providers, Mr. Lynch commented that he felt confident that once people begin using the new service, Digicel would become synonymous with all-island coverage, excellent voice clarity and incomparable service.
"With the presence of competition, Jamaicans will benefit even if they do not switch providers as already there are initiatives being introduced in the market that are happening only because of the imminent arrival of competition. Jamaicans are being given a choice, " he said.
Digicel has spent the last six months putting together a meticulous plan to forecast the future capacity needs of their network which will assure future expansion without impacting on service levels.
Following deregulation of the telecommunications market early last year, Digicel (Mossel) was awarded one of the new operating licenses at a cost of US$47.5 million dollars. They began operations soon afterwards and in June 2000 moved to their premises in New Kingston and currently employ more than 100 people -- not including an extended number of both local and foreign consultants and contractors. As a foreign investor, Mossel (Jamaica) Limited has used local Jamaican talent and expertise in their staff recruitment and choice of construction companies, and other key suppliers.
They have also reiterated on many occasions their commitment to investing up to US$200 million over the next 12 months. Digicel is backed by Irish shareholders Denis O'Brien, founder of Esat Telecom Group; Leslie Buckley who is considered one of Ireland's most respected business consultants and company doctors; and Ossie Kilkenny, a senior partner in the firm of Chartered Accountants, O.J. Kilkenny & Company, specialising in the music and entertainment business. Together they bring considerable international business experience to the Jamaican economy and are fully committed to the development of the market.
