Interconnection decision soon

Sources yesterday claimed the panel was close to making a decision on what the final mobile interconnection rates would be and could announce that decision within the next few days. One source even claimed that the panel could give a decision today.

However, Telecom Authority officials yesterday said they have not received any word as to when the panel will make its final determination about what those rates would be.

Efforts to contact officials at TSTT and Digicel officials yesterday to find out whether they had received word from the panel about final interconnection rates were unsuccessful.

The panel was formed last year in order to help TSTT and Digicel to resolve outstanding issues where interconnection was concerned. Interim interconnection rates were set in late March in order to facilitate Digicel opening its doors for business in April.

Digicel Group chairman Dennis O’Brien has expressed optimism that the final rates would be fair to all parties concerned and hinted that those rates could result in mobile phone rates falling.

TSTT’s 26-year monopoly over the local telecom sector ended in June 2005, with the award of US$16 million and US$9 million licences to Digicel and local telecom company Laqtel respectively by the Telecom Authority. Laqtel is yet to launch its operations.