Jamaicans were introduced to modern telecommunications with the opening of the Jamintel building. It was deemed one of the most significant happenings at the time by Governor General His Excellency the Most Honourable Florizel Glasspole.

Published Friday, August 31, 1973

GG opens $2m Jamintel Centre

Jamintel centre, the new $2-million headquarters of the Jamaica International Telecommunications Ltd at North Street, Kingston, was officially declared open yesterday afternoon, August 29, by Governor General His Excellency the Most Honourable Florizel Glasspole.

Lady Glasspole pulled the cord unveiling the inscribed tablet commemorating the building, after the governor general had hailed the ceremony as “one of more than ordinary importance to Jamaica”.

“We are officially recognising and opening the centre which provides the most modern international telephone switching centre, as well as other advanced telecommunications facilities,” he declared to applause.

Communications today, in whatever form, was perhaps more than the lifeblood of human existence and civilization, he said.

Without the facilities of radio, TV and other ingredients of what was known as the communications media, mankind would feel as if they had returned to the dark prehistoric age.

Paid tribute

The governor general paid tribute to the previous government for having negotiated the agreement which made Jamintel possible, with the Government holding 51 per cent of the share capital, adding:

“No disservice is done to history when the truth is spoken. This was a sensible move, and credit must be given where credit is due.”

His Excellency expressed the hope that because Jamintel was the only external communication operator operating in Jamaica, “it is most important that management and workers alike will recognise the sacred responsibility they bear and work together, at all times, to resolve whatever differences may arise and save our country from more strikes and go-slows”.

“This is a sincere appeal, and I hope it is accepted in the spirit in which it is made.”

He concluded: “I am sure, in this great network of technical equipment and dedicated human resources, Jamintel will provide Jamaica with a service equal to the best in the world.”

Praise

Minister of Public Utilities, Transport and Communications, the Hon Eric Beil, also had words of praise for the new centre: “...an imposing structure in the city of Kingston, which typifies in a tangible form the progress being maintained by Jamaica in the field of communications”.

“I regard this new building as a symbolic landmark of the intention of Jamintel to always keep ahead of the needs of the country in the field of external telecommunications."

The minister expressed his thanks to Cable and Wireless for the part they had played in the development of communications in the island, and for the willing cooperation in the plan to place the management of the company in the hands of Jamaicans at the earliest possible date.

The company had continued to make adequate provisions for Jamaica’s expanding volume of overseas telecommunications. An indication of this could be gained from the fact that the number of telephone circuits operated by the company’s satellite earth station at Prospect Pen had increased from 28 on April 1, 1972, to 42 on June 1 this year; an increase of 51 per cent.

In addition, the minister mentioned that the growth rate for the first year of the operation of the new company when compared with the final year of operation of Cable and Wireless, revealed that lelex had increased by 88 per cent and overseas telephone calls by 18 per cent.

Quality

The standard and quality of the services provided by Jamintel had also been outstanding, he said.

Concluding, Mr Bell emphasised that the Jamintel story was an “excellent example of the benefits which could be derived when a partnership was entered into between ourselves and competent and honourable partners for the provision of services, for which the partners had acquired skills and expertise over the years".

The chairman of Cable and Wireless, Mr H.G. Lillicrap, in brief remarks, expressed his sincere congratulations to Jamintel and wished for their future success.

It was a matter of special importance that after long years of association, the ties between Cable and Wireless and Jamintel were still strong.

Chairman of the function, held on the third floor of the seven-storey building, was the chairman of the board of directors, Mr H.G. Barber, who is also the financial secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

Presentations

Presentations were made to their Excellencies and other distinguished guests by members of the Jamintel staff.

Also present at the ceremony were the custos of Kingston, the Hon Dr A.L. McFarlane and Mrs McFarlane; Mayor of Kingston Councillor Algon Samuels;British High Commissioner Mr John Hemmings; and Jamintel Chief Executive Mr T. O. Minott.

The imposing building houses Jamintel’s sophisticated international telephone switching centre, which is among the most modern in the world, as well as other advanced telecommunications equipment.

The latest of the high-rise structures to dot the city’s skyline, the building was constructed by Leonard I. Chang (Engineers) Ltd Kingston and Taylor Woodrow International.

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