Guyana to build WiMAX network

The Guyana government says it will introduce new legislation that will provide greater protection to consumers of telecommunication services.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, speaking at the launch of a new telecommunication service on Monday night, also announced that his administration would be building a US$35-million WiMAX Internet network.

WiMAX is a wireless technology that provides high-speed Internet access to homes and offices and has the added benefit of being mobile.

The new technology would erase the need for a connection crew visiting the home or office of a customer and has speed that surpasses that of the current wire line infrastructure in Guyana.

"WiMAX service is ahead of most countries in the world. If we have to close the digital divide, we must close it with technologies that are more advanced than other countries have ... . ICT would lead the way forward for Guyana," the president said.

"It will be one of the new sectors that will generate greater disposable income, it will create thousands of jobs. It would also allow Guyana to move fully," Jagdeo said, "into eGovernment mode, hooking up our schools, our hospitals and everything else so that we can deploy technology to the service of our people."

Jagdeo said consultations were currently being held on a series of telecommunications-related laws and amendments to the Public Utilities Act, as part of efforts to liberalise the telecommunication sector.

"There will be several pieces of legislation that are part of the package that we are consulting on that will go to the parliament that would allow for greater consumer protection, pricing policy, interconnection and regulation of the new liberalised environment."

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company maintains that its agreement offers it a monopoly on international voice and data. However, several wireless Internet providers that bypass that phone company's backbone have been granted permission to set up operations.

Jagdeo said that the Public Utilities Act would be amended to offer "stronger greater regulations because those are needed in a liberalised environment to ensure quality of service and consumer protection".

- CMC