Prime Minister Gaston Browne has again lashed out at Flow and Digicel in favour of the state-owned Antigua Public Utilities Authority.
He used the occasion of the 2020 Budget Speech to slam the two private providers for providing what he called expensive and poor quality service.
“I know there are many who are blaming the government for slow internet services but the reality is it is Cable and Wireless and Digicel who are selling crappy service for an expensive fee,” he told parliament.
“That is a fact and I want them to hear very clearly,” Browne added
He said as a result of this “we cannot rely on them.”
The prime minister and minister for finance announced that US$ 30 million will be invested in APUA to improve broadband service and coverage.
He said this will include underwater fibre cable for faster speeds.
“We are getting APUA to build out its own infrastructure so you can get good quality affordable service,” he announced.
“We not having no quarrel with them they can continue to provide their crappy service, we putting money in APUA so we can supply the demands of our people,” Browne added.
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The people’s Prime Minister is right. No more nonsense. No more crappy service.
When will I be able to pay my utilities bill online directly through a portal provided by APUA?
It is for the banks to make the investment in to the technology. Look how long it took them to have a computerized central clearing house. And this technology is now 20 years behind. In Europe all the banks using the euro are interconnected via the internet. So anyone can just email you money to your account in real time and you have access to that money immediately. No clearing time. So if you send me money I can pay some else immediately. Like if you go out for dinner with a group or take an Uber together end we have to split the bill but one person will pay it, everyone just transfers their share to you. And you can see their transaction right away on your account.
That is why people hardly use cash. Not even on the bus train or taxi. Therefore robberies are down. No cash on hand.
especially DIGICEL. Exhorbitant fees and shitty service.
I have Digicel and honestly, since christmas it sucks. No ping, snail speed and intermittent outage.
You should revoke their license.
Beautiful crappy indeed.
Prime Minister you are on the right track. UPP must be eating Their words. Truth to POWER.
probably the only truth he managed in that long boring repetitive uninspiring budget speech
When I was home in 2017 Digicel was working out Fig Tree. My host was stunned at the time. Apparently it was a big deal.
I was home in October. My Canadian service provider switched to Flow from Digicel. When I got back to Canada, my service provider was obliged to provide a full refund to roam like home. One requires a working network to roam like anything.
I wonder whose network I’ll be on next…
CRAPPY SERVICE – SHITTY SERVICE?
When a Prime Minister speaks, everybody listens.
Those who would wish to behave more ‘duncy’ than ‘…Duncy Bat and Rock Head,’ they can expect ‘…their tears to stain their jackets.
Not sure that any ‘…Police Superintendent’ can ‘…consider these entities disposable ‘…Derelict Services’ though.
Neither can any “…Subordinate Police officer’ embarked upon ‘…spraying them with red paint’ for disposal, due to ‘…consumer dissatisfaction.’
This might require the attention of the ‘…Health Minister and Litter Wardens’ to issue ‘…Tickets or Notices’ for these kinds of ‘…Crappy and shitty Services.’
There might be ‘…legal and non-legal problems’ though.’
Since the services as described’ cannot be ‘…seized willy-nilly’ and deposited at the Cooks Sanitary
Landfill,’ the authorities might just wish to cause the Judiciary to be visited upon them in the interest of the public.
Even so, got to figure either an amicable way out, or a ‘…bulldozer-like way in.’
However, none may cause ‘…administrative rhetoric’ to replace a ‘…peaceful and commonsense approach’ that may eventually reduce ‘…Public Administration and Business Operations ‘ to a ‘…Litigation Circus.’
The PM is on point
Mel, you right again. That’s cool.
Mr Brown thank you for your public “announcement”.
i can’t even stream a movie on digicel and flow during the day, it is so dawn slow.
Thank you Mr. PM and I am waiting for a more reliable and speeder Internet service like yesterday. The slow and crappie Internet service don’t workout good when doing online degree program. It is a shame when you have to ask your professor for more time on your assignment because of the slow crappy Internet service in Antigua and Barbuda. I have iNet service now and it does drop in and out at times but it still need some more improvements like yesterday with speeds.
Let’s see if the PM is a man of his words…..
The Internet service in Antigua is the most expensive in the Caribbean for such small bandwidth…..
More ISPs are needed to create a competition
Our cable service needs to be looked at also.
Antiguans are really been taken for a joy ride when comes to the Cable & Internet services
Totally agree with the PM, but he also needs to regulate the prices APUA charges customers for Fiber to the Home services. It’s ridiculously expensive for the bandwidth they offer
All a them wicked but Digicel head the list as all a them charge for data by time which is high way robbery EE started it and the US carriers follow suit but are back peddling as people stop using their services not almost all of them major carriers in the US have unlimited data plans but throttle the speed after you reach a certain data limit which is better than a data crap sorry cap
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