PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) – The Senate Public Works Committee met Wednesday with representatives of the phone company Natcom regarding the problems of interconnection with other operators between the three carriers – which include HAITEL and Digicel.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator John William Jeanty said after the meeting his committee received details of the causes of this problem and promises to meet officials concerned with the issue.
Jeanty forward the information during a meeting with officials from the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL) which, he reminds, is responsible to intervene in this matter.
The second senator of Nippes, Jeanty, said that other issues related to acts of sabotage which Natcom has been made victim of, were also discussed during the interview. Cables being cut in several parts of the country by unknown unidentified individuals.
Expressing awareness that the population has a need for improved quality and cost of mobile services in Haiti, the MP assured that the committee will follow up on all stakeholders to assume their responsibilities.
SA Telecommunications of Haiti (Teleco) , the majority of assets (60%) was acquired by a public company of Vietnam, Viettel Corporation, for $ 59 milion dollars Natcom was renamed in April 2010. The Haitian state retains 40% of assets.
This new operator brings the number to four, for companies offering mobile phone services in Haiti. Its service intends to officially launch on September 7. The other companies are in order of seniority: HAITEL, Voila and Digicel.
___________________________________________________________________
COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
Also discussed was the recent arrest of people involved with a pirate phone operation in Haiti, coordinated by CALLDIREK phone card company in Miami. There are suggestions that the pirate operation was owned by Andy Apaid, a cousin of Charlito Baker and Senator Jeanty.
It was bleeding something like $750,000 from the legitimate groups – Digicel, Voila, etc…
More details on this when they become available.