LICENCES FOR NEW LONG DISTANCE CENTRES

THE Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) will soon be issuing renewable ten year licences and concessions to a number of companies to operate international call services in Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking at a press conference at the Authority’s conference room at BEN Court, Boundary Road, San Juan Executive Director of TATT, Dr John Prince, explained that this was in keeping with the Authority’s plans to liberalise the telecommunications market, and invite new players to increase customers’ benefits. While the exact number of licences and concessions to be handed out have not been finalised, interested parties, including local entities are being invited to collect their Requests For Proposals (RFP), at the TATT offices from Monday November 19.

TATT’s Chairman Dr Ralph Henry explained that the number of licences to be issued would be done in such a manner as to ensure that the market is not underdeveloped, or over saturated. Henry explained that if this happened companies may believe they were not benefiting from their investment, and may get frustrated and close down. “This is not what we are aiming for,” explained Henry, “we want people to be able to offer a service beneficial to the customers and to themselves.” Henry said the Authority was aware of the need for affordable, quality nationwide international telecommunications services for the country’s competitive edge to improve.

With regards to local call services, Prince explained that companies would be able to offer this type of service through the interconnection clause of the Act. Also at the briefing and seeking clarification on the role that Voice Over Internet Providers (VOIP) would play with regards to the international concessions and licences was TSTT Product and Service Pricing Manager, Cleveland Thomas. In response Henry explained that the two entities are being looked at in separate issues. He explained that the Authority had categorised the VOIP/ Call Centre Operators as small and medium businesses, and was dealing with them on a separate level. He pointed out that under the Telecommunications Act 2001, all providers of these services would have to be licensed and as such the Authority was going through the necessary procedures to have them licensed by January 2005.