Digicel begins implementation of ‘Play’

Digicel is expecting another market revolution with its recently launched “Digicel Play”, a $2 billion fibre network to provide television, land line and internet, and plan to help bridge the digital divide to improve people’s income earning capacity.

Digicel TT CEO Sacha Thompson discussed the new service during a recent interview at Digicel’s corporate office at Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain.

She reported that with Digicel Play the company will be providing “the most advanced online, television and digital service.” Thompson said Digicel is expanding into this new area for the same reason it came to this country 10 years ago - to bring needed competition for the benefit of the customer. She recalled that before the entry of Digicel mobile phones were restricted to a limited number of users, but now there is 150 per cent penetration.

Thompson said the new service will be transformational for the market and contribute to the economic development of the country through bridging of the “digital divide”.

Also present during the interview was Digicel Play CEO Garvin Medera. He explained that Digicel Play features a 100 percent fibre network which goes all the way to the customer’s premises. He noted that they have a “backbone” and then an access network which actually connects the customer which differs from the hybrid fibre network most customers are accustomed to.

Medera said the network will support the high bandwidth requirements that people will have and will also “future proof” Digicel, enabling them to grow as technology grows without a need to upgrade the network. He added that fibre provides stability and consistency of service that is “unparalleled”.

“It now means that you as the customer will absolutely get what you paid for,” he said.

He noted that whatever service you sign up for, 100 megabits per second (mbps) for example, you will get it consistently throughout the day. He said the high bandwidth also provides for high quality, crystal clear phone connection and high quality TV viewing. He noted that customers would be offered high definition channels and the bandwidth to the other channels will be much higher than accustomed.

Medera reported that about 1,000 people were hired for the implementation of Digicel Play and it is 99 per cent local.

He explained that the backbone of the system is “everywhere in the country” and operations are at the next phase where service is being rolled out to specific areas, with customer interest dictating in which area the next launch would be.

Medera said Digicel plans for national by 2018. Medera noted demand for the service has thus far been greater in Tobago.

At this time, customers in the North West of Trinidad or South of Tobago can visit a retail store and sign up for services while in other areas can call on a Digicel phone at 100 or 500, call 866-PLAY, or sign up on the website at digicelplaytt.com.

Questioned about the issues faced by other local cable providers who were mandated by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to remove channels for which they did not have the intellectual property rights, Medera assured that Digicel has worked with the regulator and are in compliance.

Noting that since its launch in Trinidad and Tobago ten years ago Digicel has invested some $7 billion into the country, Thompson noted that the investment into the new product and service of fibre to the home (FTTH) is $2 billion.

“So we continue to really invest in the country with that exact goal of bridging that digital divide,” she said.

Medera said Digicel Play was being launched live in Jamaica and Barbados as well.