TSTT: Interconnection by March 31

THE Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) yesterday indicated that interconnection with other mobile service providers will take place by March 31, and it will spend $600 million over the next two and a half years to upgrade its fixed phone line network in TT. Speaking at a news conference at TSTT’s Edward Street headquarters in Port-of-Spain, company CEO Carlos Espinal and company chief operating officer Bernard Mitchell said some of the interconnection equipment has arrived in TT and they are optimistic about the March interconnection deadline set by the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT).

Mitchell added that the end of March appears to be the most feasible date for interconnection to take place. Espinal said interconnection discussions between TSTT, Digicel and local telecom company Laqtel are ongoing and there is still some way to go before all three parties sign interconnection agreements. He added that TATT sits in on these meetings from time to time, the most recent occasion being last week, and TSTT always provides TATT with a status report of what transpired at these meetings. Outside of the whole interconnection issue, Espinal said TSTT is continuing to work hard to improve its mobile phone quality and coverage. Company officials indicated that TSTT’s GSM customer base tripled in 2005 and the company now has over 900,000 subscribers. They also disclosed that TSTT’s Next Generation Wireline has been added to part of its fixed line system, efforts are underway to improve its Internet bandwidth and Internet protocols and 400 new cellular sites will be erected by March.

Espinal said Laqtel is negotiating with TSTT to share facilities on 20 of those towers in the first instance. While interconnection remains a hot topic in the public domain, Espinal said TSTT has not allowed itself to forget about its fixed phone network which has been neglected in large measure for many years. TSTT vice-president (customer care) Cedric Cole said the company will rectify this situation through a $600 million investment plan to upgrade its fixed line network. Cole disclosed that during the next two months, TSTT will initiate a $100 million roll-out plan to upgrade fixed phone lines in some critical parts of TT.

Among the areas expected to benefit from the $100 million roll-out are Princes Town, San Fernando, San Juan, Arima, Point Lisas, Chaguaramas and Parlatuvier in Tobago. Cole also said TSTT will be establishing special kiosks throughout TT in April and using other initiatives to reduce the number of persons who come to its public offices to pay their phone bills.  He alluded to plans to reduce customer waiting times at TSTT public offices from 16 to ten minutes being implemented in the second quarter of 2006. Cole said while TSTT technicians still face risks working in crime hot spots, the company has been working with the police to deal with this matter.