Digicel
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| Type | Private - owned by Denis O'Brien |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | |
| Key people | |
| Industry | Mobile telecommunications |
| Products | Mobile networks, Telecom services, WiMAX Broadband, Etc. |
| Employees | ~4,000 (2008) |
| Website | Digicel Group Ltd. Digicel Pacific Ltd. |
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica, the company provides mobile services in 23 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean and Central America with more than six million wireless users. Digicel is preparing to launch in the British Virgin Islands, Honduras and Panama which will bring it to a total of 26 markets. Meanwhile its sister operation Digicel Pacific to date (Jan 2008) operates in four markets in the South Pacific (Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu) with launch imminent in Fiji. [1] The company's largest competitor in the Caribbean region is LIME's bmobile brand.
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[edit] History
Digicel, first established April, 2001 in Jamaica grew to 100,000 customers in approximately 100 days. In the 7 years since the initial launch, Digicel's Jamaican customer base has grown to 1.9 million users (March 2008). In Haiti, where they launched operations in May 2006, the company reached 6.5 million subscribers by May 2007 and now has more than two million customers making Haiti Digicel's largest customer base to date. Digicel is 100% owned by Irish entrepreneur Denis O'Brien. The company has a marketshare of roughly 70% in Jamaica.(Digicel makes cellphone connection in Jamaica)
[edit] Competitive Issues with Incumbents
The majority of Digicel networks start up in countries where the telecommunications market has been newly liberalised. As a result there have been numerous rows between Digicel executives and former state incumbent operators over interconnect agreements. This has led to Digicel taking some incumbent operators to court.[2][3]
[edit] Digicel Expansion
In 2006 Digicel expanded into the South American mainland as well as the Pacific. On September 2006 Digicel acquired an unrelated mobile phone provider Digicel Holdings in El Salvador, rebranding it as El Nuevo Digicel. Digicel El Salvador has now overtaken Claro as number 2 Operator in the country. The group has also won a mobile telecommunications license in Guatemala. In December 2007 Digicel won a highly competitive bid for a mobile license in Honduras and expects to launch in its second Central American country in 2008. Digicel in Guatemala must be launched before June 18th (2008), when its authorization expires.
In 2007 Digicel also expanded their presence in South America and in the country of Guyana, acquiring U*Mobile, now rebranded as Digicel Guyana Ltd as well as launching in Suriname (December 2007) and French Guiana (June 2006). Digicel now operates in 23 markets. Digicel won a licence to operate in Panama in May 2008. Digicel has also hinted that it would undertake expansion to the United States market at some point in the future.[4]
[edit] Digicel Pacific
Digicel's sister operation in the Pacific Islands region currently operates in Samoa and in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu , Tonga, Fiji, as well as an experimental licence in the Solomon Islands.[5]
[edit] Partnership with ezetop
On 20th March 2007, Digicel signed an agreement with ezetop to provide mobile credit to the diaspora across the world. ezetop currently markets Digicel top-up for Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Guyana, and Samoa in retail stores in the US, the UK and online around the world at their website.
[edit] Partnership with Vodafone
On 6 February 2007, Digicel signed a three-year partnership agreement with Vodafone. Though both will remain separate and independent companies, the agreement, which includes Digicel's sister operation in Samoa, will result in the offering of new roaming capabilities. The two groups will also become preferred roaming partners of each other.[6][7]
[edit] Digicel Foundation
Digicel and its shareholders set up a foundation that has been actively involved in charitable work throughout the Caribbean involving a wide range of school and sports projects as well as providing assistance after Hurricane Ivan devastated many of the islands, especially Grenada and the Cayman Islands.[citation needed] To date the Digicel Foundation in Jamaica has allocated US$7 million to sustainable development community projects in the country. In Haiti the Digicel Foundation built 20 primary schools in its first year.
[edit] Caribbean and Central American Operations
The Caribbean and Central American operations of Digicel Group (June 2008).
| Territory | GSM & CDMA Frequencies | Local Sites | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Anguilla | ||
| 850/900 MHz | 800 MHz (planned) | Digicel Antigua & Barbuda | ||
| 900/1800 MHz | 1900 MHz | Digicel Aruba | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 800/1900 MHz | Digicel Barbados | ||
| 1900 MHz | 1900 MHz | Digicel Bermuda | ||
| 900/1800 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Bonaire | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Curaçao | ||
| 900/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Dominica | ||
| 900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel El Salvador | ||
| 900/1800 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel French Windies & French Guiana | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Grenada | ||
| 900/1800 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel French Windies & French Guiana | ||
| 900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Group | ||
| 900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Guyana | ||
| 1800/1900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Haiti | ||
| 1900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Honduras | ||
| 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | 800/1900 MHz | Digicel Cayman Islands | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz | Digicel Jamaica | ||
| 900/1800 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel French Windies & French Guiana | ||
| 1800/1900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Panamá | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Saint Kitts & Nevis | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel St. Lucia | ||
| 900/1800/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | ||
| 900 MHz | NO CDMA | Digicel Suriname | ||
| 900/1900 MHz | 1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Turks & Caicos | ||
| 850/1900 MHz | 800/1900 MHz (planned) | Digicel Trinidad & Tobago | ||
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Digicel Homepage
- Babble Rouser - By Bernard Condon 07.17.08, 6:00 PM ET - Forbes Magazine
- Digicel Suriname License - Caribbean Net News (April 17th, 2007)
- Digicel among three bidding for Colombia's third-largest cellular company (September 01st, 2006) - Barbados Advocate
- Digicel to build US$10-million Caribbean headquarters in Kingston (April 30th, 2006) - Jamaica Observer Newspaper
- Digicel marks five year anniversary with record growth (April 22nd, 2006) - Caribbean Net News
- Digicel continues expansion (August 26, 2005) - Barbados Advocate
- Denis O'Brien, visionary philanthropist embraces employee ownership' by Jean Lowrie-Chin (April 2006) - Jamaica Observer
- Digicel racks up US$74M loss - Nation News (October 09th, 2008)
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