Price war looming in the telecoms industry

At the launch of Karib Cable’s Internet service in Chateaubelair last Saturday, the company’s IT Manager Alex Barnwell told SEARCHLIGHT that there would definitely be a price war with telecoms giant Cable & Wireless as his company brings more services and options to Vincentian consumers.{{more}}

Barnwell said that his company is bringing ‘Triple Play’ to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in the form of cable television, Internet and telephone services through a single line connection. “Can you imagine you’ll be getting speeds of 1.1 to 4.4 megabytes at the same old price of $79?” Barnwell said.

Also present at the launching was area representative and Telecommunications Minister Dr Jerrol Thompson who said that he is impressed with the services provided by Karib Cable. Thompson also said that the European Union has allocated $48 million to fund an Information Communications Technology (ICT) education project that will focus mainly on the Technical and Vocational and Teacher Education Divisions of the Community College, with a major thrust in Teacher Education.

Although not many persons signed on to the new service provider in Chateaubelair, Barnwell said that he is not discouraged, as the Internet is going to unleash the talents of Vincentians and unite them in their various communities and in the Diaspora. “We’re gonna break down the stereotypes of town man and country man and make it easier for the man in Owia to know what the Chateau man is doing”, Barnwell stated.

Karib Cable is connected to Southern Fibre, a new marine fibre optic cable that connects Suriname, Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean. The inititive was started by the French Government for its Caribbean territories.