KINGSTON, Jamaica – Digicel, the fastest-growing telecommunications operator in the Caribbean and new entrant to the Central American market, today announced significant year-end growth achievements in 2007.
As the largest GSM operator in the region, Digicel ended the year with more than six million customers, a total investment exceeding US $1.9 billion across the region and new business operations in Suriname, Guyana and El Salvador.
“Digicel’s progress in 2007 reinforced our position as the Caribbean’s leading mobile service provider and demonstrated delivery of sustained growth in our current markets, strategically expanding operations in new markets and providing exciting, first-to-market technology innovations to all of our customers,” said Colm Delves, Digicel Group CEO.
Digicel achieved a number of key milestones in 2007. These include:
— Celebrating One-Year Anniversary of Digicel Haiti: Digicel celebrated its first year of operations in Haiti — gaining more than 1.8 million Haitian subscribers — and played a pivotal role in the increase of mobile penetration rates within this market.
When Digicel Haiti launched in May 2006, fixed and mobile penetrations rates were five percent. In 2007,mobile penetration increased to 35 percent.
— Winning Mobile Licenses in New Markets: In December 2007, Digicel was granted a mobile license to operate a GSM network in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The British Virgin Islands will become Digicel’s 24th market and the company has earmarked US $15 million as its initial investment to build a state-of-the-art network.
With a thriving financial services and tourism industry, the British Virgin Islands has one of the most prosperous economies in the Caribbean. In addition, Digicel Central America Holdings Limited, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Digicel Honduras S.A. de C.V., won a competitive bid for a license to operate a GSM mobile network
in Honduras.
Significant investment in Honduras is planned to build a world-class network and operation that is set to stimulate growth in the mobile market by increasing mobile penetration within the next five years from approximately 38% to 75%. Honduras has a total population of close to 7.5 million.
— Expanding the Product Portfolio: Exclusive to Digicel and called “Coral,” the company introduced a sleek, new line of mobile handsets accessible to consumers across almost all Digicel markets. The Coral phones reinforced Digicel’s continued efforts to increase mobile penetration in key markets. Manufactured for Digicel by Vodafone in collaboration with ZTE, the Coral handsets are among the least expensive on the market.
Digicel also expanded its products portfolio with new BlackBerry Curve devices and a new “Digicel Vehicle Tracking” system, a GPS vehicle tracking
device for fleet management companies.
— Exciting, First-to-Market Technology Innovations: Digicel is expanding its customer offerings, continuing to roll out many first-to-market technology innovations such as its Personal Broadband Service through WiMAX technology. Pioneering this technology in the Cayman Islands, Digicel’s Personal Broadband Service enables consumers to access the Internet from anywhere within their coverage area. Digicel also launched MobileTV in Jamaica, which allows customers to enjoy all live, local mobile TV
programming.
— Strategic Partnerships to Bring Greater Value to Customers: With a new partnership with Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile phone company, Digicel expanded its capacity to offer its customers a wider range of roaming services as well as a seamless world-class mobile experience while traveling abroad on each others’ networks.
The companies are working together to jointly develop innovative products and services, creating cost benefits, greater value and more solutions for customers. Digicel also has roaming agreements with 245 partners in 130 countries around the world.
— Diaspora Services: In 2007, significant inroads were achieved as the company continued offering services that allow the Caribbean Diaspora communities living abroad to send airtime credit and purchase phones for family and friends in the Caribbean. Digicel’s CaribFlex allows the
purchase of airtime credit in the UK, Canada and the US for prepaid customers in Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, Guyana and OECS markets. Credit is instantly applied to the prepaid customers account and the beneficiary notified via text message. To facilitate this service and the sale of phones for Haiti, Digicel has signed partnership agreements with leading money transfer companies including Caribbean Air Mail (CAM) and
UniTransfer.
— Digicel Pacific Ltd: Significant inroads were made by Digicel’s sister company, Digicel Pacific Ltd in rolling out a seamless pan Pacific GSM
network. Digicel launched in Papua New Guinea in July 2007, leading to a 0.7% growth in the nation’s GDP. The Tonga operator TONFON was acquired in November while Digicel Samoa continues to enjoy steady growth. The Governments of Fiji, Vanuatu and several other countries in the Pacific
have committed to license Digicel Pacific Ltd shortly.
“2007 was a phenomenal year of growth for Digicel,” added Colm Delves. “As we look ahead to 2008, we are very excited about further strengthening our presence in current markets, strategically expanding our business operations in new markets and continuing to bring new technology innovations and products to all of our customers.”
