by Audley Phillip
A telecommunication war seems to be brewing and the Prime Minister is holding back no punches.
It is somewhat unprecedented to hear a Prime Minister launching a broadside on the telecommunications companies in this manner.
This after both Digicel and Flow were told that they must share the 850 Mghz spectra with competitor INET, which is wholly owned by the government. Digicel and Flow have already taken action in the courts preventing the government from unilaterally forcing them to share their assigned frequency with APUA.
In a recent Facebook page, the Prime Minister stated: “We will fight Digicel, Flow and their allies until APUA gets its fair share of the lucrative 850 spectrum. … If Flow and Digicel continue to fight us, instead of sharing this national asset with Inet; we will move all of our government accounts to INET. Frankly, we do not need their crappy, extortionately priced service.
They are literally plundering the people of Antigua & Barbuda. They need to shape up or ship out.”
It is very unfortunate to hear a Prime Minister referring to a company in this manner and even threatening to withdraw all of governments business with the said companies. This amounts to an all-out war or bullying and only time will tell when the dust is all settled.
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Audley, you seem to be conveniently deaf when Donald Trump and his White House puppies launched a broadside against Huawei. Huawei has the best (by far), platform for telecom providers, and the US administration is trying its endeavour best to cripple them, so that CISCO and other US providers of the same service will get an unfair advantage in the US market. But, as usual, your vitriolic remarks are reserved for Gaston Brown, whose mission is to seek a level playing field where locals are not trampled and crushed by multinational corporations.
In another medium, clear and unambiguous evidence is provided, where local mercenaries, for 10 pieces of silver, sell out our birthright. Why not address that treacherous act by the former administration? How can it be reasonable for APUA to purchase cables for millions of dollars, then have the same cables terminated at a private business which also competes with APUA?
One wise man opined very long ago, that there is none so blind, as those who will not see. Well, I will rest my case for the time being.
“The norm for spectrum use should be sharing, not exclusivity,” See (Freeing up Spectrum for Wireless Broadband. The Executive Office of the (US) President, July 20, 2012)
Audley I have seen a letter written (Sept 27, 2012) by the former Chairman of APUA, Clavis Joseph where he points out the unfairness of what has happened, and the millions it will cost APUA. He also pointed out that former PM BS, shared the same sentiment regarding APUA being disadvantaged and insisted it be fixed. Yet watch you now attack PM Gaston Browne, who now some seven years later, simply insists that this long standing issue be fairly rectified. It then leaves me to wonder what really is your motive? Why should government continue to do biz with entities that provide it no value for money? Can’t see any sane person agreeing that Digicel’s offering provides value for money (paying for 4G when you are getting less than 2G)
Diesel, I attack no one and I do not hide behind fictitious names. That is why all my pieces bears my real name. I have the greatest respect for the PM and I only repeated his exact words. How does that amount to an attack on him? I said it amounts to either a war on the telecommunication companies or downright bullying. I do not play politics and I am not afraid to engage any public figure. I am saying that it is very unusual for a PM to describe a telecoms company in the manner that he did. These matters ought to be discussed in camera and not in the public arena as was done. It amounts to almost an incitement against both Digicel and Flow and this is neither right nor fair. Sometimes how we do things is far more important that what we do.
Audley, then if you have a problem with the matter being handled in public, why have you not chided Digicel for their public statements (Dwayne Tulloch) on this matter? Instead you on June 6th hailed their response via your comment which made clear you see the foreign carriers as being victims. Then there is your comment about fictitious names as if this discussion should be about personalities and not issue based. Not sure who you are trying to fool with your trying to pull red herring across the trail. It looks bad when you have someone easily leave from being a regulator and get a job at one of the major companies he used to regulate and seemed overly friendly to. While regulator there were already questions about whether he was impartial. These actions more seem a crime than your belief that its illegal for the foreign telcom giants to have to share, after proper compensation, the spectrum with our own apua
The Prime Minister is absolutely right. He is the voice of the workers and the common people. These companies need to shape up or get outta here. This is a People’s Government, and the People rule here. The rich are not going to run this country as if it were their private plantation. Gaston and Bernie Sanders of the USA are ideological twins, and both must be supported as they work for true equality, entrepreneural socialism and labour based social democracy. Power to the People!
Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! “Come now, and let us reason together, …” – Isaiah!
“A telecommunication war seems to be brewing and the Prime Minister is holding back no punches.
It is somewhat unprecedented to hear a Prime Minister launching a broadside on the telecommunications companies in this manner.” – Audley Phillip! “For many among us the European model is the most inspiring. We have therefore seen in the preceding pages to what mortifying set-backs such an imitation has led us. European achievements, European techniques and the European style ought no longer to tempt us and to throw us off our balance.” Fantz Fanon!
“It is very unfortunate to hear a Prime Minister referring to a company in this manner and even threatening to withdraw all of governments business with the said companies. This amounts to an all-out war or bullying and only time will tell when the dust is all settled.” – Audley Phillip! “Come, then, comrades; it would be as well to decide at once to change our ways. We must shake off the heavy darkness in which we were plunged, and leave it behind. The new day which is already at hand must find us firm, prudent and resolute.” – Frantz Fanon!
To give this issue in camera discussions out of the public view on a National Asset and not provide the clarity and transparency the Commentary writer suggests in his comments, it would be prudent to not only understand the science of wireless spectrum technologies, but also the allocations processes, the political, socio-cultural, legal and environmental parameters and Time of the allocation to educate The people of African Descent housed on the Rock! This issue did not begin today! It’s genesis and parsimonious and niggardly collaboration or cooperation must be located before the exodus! The Good Commentary writer should educate the masses!
“The value of etymology, that is, the origin of terms and words is in the proper identification and location of concepts. The Afrocentrist seeks to demonstrate clarity by exposing dislocations, disorientations, and decenterness. … This means that any textual analysis must involve the concrete realities of lived experiences, thus making historical experiences a key element …” – Asante!
Go Well My Brother!
And your point is?????????????????????????????????
The education minister probably love when they say bullying he probably gets crazy
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