Caribbean mobile carrier Digicel plans to invest an additional US$100 million in upgrading its infrastructure in Jamaica this year, local daily Jamaica Observer reported.
The added investment will go into upgrading switches, WiMax, network facilities, training programs, retail stores and push total investment in the island to US$600mn since Digicel’s 2001 market entry.
“We think that Jamaica is going through a renaissance similar to what Ireland went through in the late 1980s, and as a place to attract investors we think that Jamaica has one of the more outstanding opportunities in the Caribbean,” Digicel chairman Denis O’Brien was quoted as saying. The company is Irish owned, but based in Jamaica.
Tourism industry growth, especially among Spanish hotel chains, is a motivating factor for increasing coverage. Digicel also signaled that growth in the manufacturing industry also contributed to its decision.
Spanish hotel investments are expected to surpass US$1.3bn this year, the newspaper quoted the Spanish ambassador to Jamaica Jesus Silva as saying.
Last week, Digicel announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Digicel Holdings Limited, an unrelated firm that operates a GSM mobile telecommunications business in El Salvador and holds a mobile license in Guatemala
Source- http://www.cellular-news.com
Posted by wirelessfed 