Minister responsible for Telecommunications Ambrose George has reported that there has been reductions in the cost of wholesale interconnection rates in telecommunications over the past year and said that there is more to come.
George, who addressed the parliament this morning, said that these reductions are the result of a three-year process which started last year.
“To continue making telecommunications affordable is the ultimate goal of this Government. And in that regard, one must emphasise the process that started a year ago, that is, the reduction in wholesale interconnection rates,” George said.
“Last year, there was a 40 percent reduction in wholesale interconnection rates to 0.369 cents. This year, 2010 it will be 0.3135 cents, and by the next year 2011 it would have dropped by 60 percent of the 2009 rates to 0.2580 cents,” he explained.
According to him, the rates are now into their second year of implementation. He said that this will lead to retail price drops in the telecommunications sector. The telecoms minister also spoke of another process of reduction of rates, which was introduced in April among Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) states.
“But rate reduction does not stop there madam speaker… (this) has been developed by ECTEL for regulating the fixed services of Cable and Wireless, now LIME, in the ECTEL member states, there are reductions. There is a complete removal of all Access Deficit Charges or ADC’s, payable to LIME, which took effect from April 1, 2010.
George said that he foresees further reduction within the retail telecommunications sector here, due to these initiatives.
– By DNO Correspondent
We need a commission of enquiry into:
1.how a local telecom company was displaced by the eu companies.
2.What happened to the Dominican manager of Solomon quarry?
Did they replace him with another frenchy?
3 how can the Jobs, commerce and industries are being given to state sponsored Chinese merchants?
4. Is not every citizen in a communist or socialist state an agent of that state?
5. Domlec now sueing the Govt for 100,million dollars. Yes, more than the international airport…
6. Did they not deny dominicans from investing in the energy sector?
yet another conflict of interest.
7. Are lawyers paid to clean up the mess they made?
8 .
Are private SC and other atony’s are being paid by government to represent the law breakers?
9 who committed premeditated crimes against the state “not even the constitution can stop Roosvelt …” by registering to be candidates for the Dec 18 2009 elections?
10 how the laws are clear on both the French and Dominican sides. A french citizen cannot hold a post in the military nor civil/government services unless acting as an agent of France.
Dominica law prohibits a person from being a member of parliament if that person has an allegiance with a foriegn power.
11. Why the DPP has not invoked the treason act.
Perhaps what he should be announcing is how much dominica lost in foriegn exchange. How much wealth dominica could have gained if they did not sabotage the local telecommunications company that took the risk and won its historical case to break the colonial monopoly. But alas I note he is begining to see how he was used by the Frenchy €u pm to give away all dominica resources. yes the … quarry … has all but wiped out the traditional fishing area and dive site. Yes this is all part of the long term desire of the French for the resources of Dominica. After all they lost 10 wars fighting for our resources. Now how much easier it is to have a frencht with a psychology degree fooling we as he doing his french mandatory civil duty as pm of we contry. LOL
This news in all well and good and I applaud the efforts of all involved. If I may be permitted to make a suggestion for the future though. Dominica and especially this youthful prime minister always emphasize on the importance of education. In fact, Dominica has a very healthy relationship with Cuba when it comes to that. Therefore, I would like to suggest that since Digicel took over Orange in Dominica, that they also inflicted Dominica with the rates to Cuba. Orange made it fairly reasonable to call the students in Cuba who were using Digicel phones. So that means Digicel still got a lot of profit from making and Orange to Digicel call from Dominica to Cuba. Now, it costs an arm, a leg and who knows how many other body parts to have a 10 min conversation from Digicel to Digicel calling from Dominica to Cuba. So, if you all are really so interested in education and the Dominican students who are studying overseas, please find a way to aid Digicel Dominica to lower the rates to and from Cuba. Thank you very much for taking the time to go through my humble suggestion.
Hon. Ambrose George, why do you have the people of Marigot in that? You were the one who messed things up with the DLP in Marigot. WHY? In life it is imperative that we remain truthful to the people always. Why don’t you talk to Sen. Baptist? Can you propose or suggest a way out of this political grid in Marigot? It is only fair if you guys who put the people in that try to understand what is happening. This is not a popularity contest; the reality is that Mr. Baptist got the opportunity to serve the constituency of Marigot. To be paid by the people’s purse and so everyone and every bonafide Dominican have a right to question him on what level of representation he is making for the constituency as a Senator that was pushed on the people. So please STOP sending cheap shots at Mr. Tyson – the constituency association is in full agreement with Tyson’s representation