Digicel gearing up to launch 4G in May

Discussion in 'Mobile Devices' started by scaR, Apr 26, 2012.

  1. scaR

    scaR New Member

    No word on what technology is being used.
    4G launch in May
    Dorian explains that Digicel expects to launch its 4G network by the middle of May and is using technology provided by Ericsson. Asked if it is important to launch 4G before TSTT, Dorian said: “It’s not in my view a race. It’s about satisfying customer demand and that demand is clearly there,” adding that the launch will demonstrate Digicel’s commitment to technology and its support of the Government’s initiatives to make ICT a core pillar of the economy. “Certainly, it’s important that we offer that service well in advance of our competition. While declining to elaborate on the prices of the new Digicel 4G service, Dorian said there will be no “significant” change in pricing for data and that it will actually be cheaper because data will be faster. “The price per megabyte will be reduced.” Questioned about the possibility of a price war with TSTT over 4G, the telecom executive said: “I believe that our pricing will be very competitive. I don’t see that there is going to be a huge need for a price war. In terms of the investment, you obviously have to price it according to the amount of money that has been invested in the infrastructure.”


    He made the point that Digicel is being run from a commercial point of view and it is looking for returns on its $140 million investment in the 4G upgrade. While the Digicel 4G offering will have the specifications to deliver speeds of up to 21 megabytes per second, download speeds will depend on how many people are on the network at the same time. “Our network is speced to accommodate between 100,000 and 200,000 people at any one time,” he said.
    He said about 20 per cent of Digicel’s customers in T&T currently have smartphones, “but our expectation and our investment in 4G is that that number of converters to smartphones will continue to increase significantly over the coming 12 to 18 months” as their cost declines.


    Digicel has already rolled out 4G in Bermuda, the Dutch Caribbean, Panama and Barbados. Jamaica and T&T will launch at around the same time. Asked why T&T is the fifth Digicel country in the region to launch 4G, Dorian said some of the company’s smaller markets were quicker to launch because their size made it easier, citing Barbados, Bermuda and the Dutch Caribbean. Digicel launched in Panama before T&T because its competition (Cable & Wireless, Telefonica and Claro) had launched there. “It’s not a case that those other markets were a priority over T&T. That’s not the case at all.” Digicel is not at a disadvantage, according to Dorian, at not being able to sell Apple’s iPhone to its customers because “there are many, many people on Digicel’s network with the iPhone. Many people buy iPhones overseas and they just put in a Digicel sim card and away you go.” He said Digicel chose not to do a deal with Apple for commercial reasons and he agreed that the relationship between Apple and telecom providers was skewed in Apple’s favour “without question.”
    [ source : http://www.guardian.co.tt/business-guardian/2012-04-26/digicel-ceo-niall-dorian%E2%80%99s-parting-shot ]
     
  2. soldier

    soldier New Member

    Some people are on a Trial right now for a week.

    Friend getting speed of 9 megabytes/sec.

    Those with 3G will be getting 3G speeds though. Those with 2G, well... Will have to stick with EDGE. :eek:
     
  3. mojo

    mojo New Member

    I've been testing 2 sims for almost a month now. It's a shame that I am prohibited by contract from removing the sims from the embedded devices to get some real world numbers. My devices are strictly for testing only and they run windows CE :s. I can connect using GPRS or HSPA+. WCDMA , Wimax and LTE networks are not available according to my device.
     
  4. Geese

    Geese Administrator Staff Member

  5. mojo

    mojo New Member

    Boom!
     

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