Friday, December 12, 2014 | 4:37 PM
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International Inc. (Columbus) today announced a customer charter that they say will guide how the new company would operate following the approval and closing of their merger.
In listing a suite of commitments, CWC’s CEO Phil Bentley in a release said that the new company plans to revolutionize telecommunications across the Caribbean and will invest US$400 million to expand its broadband infrastructure.
“This merger will result in the most extensive fibre infrastructure ever constructed in the region, providing wider access to all, specifically targeting low income households. We will ensure that all our customers have affordable access, while also providing industry leading 1 gigabyte per second broadband speeds for those customers who want an unparalleled online experience”.
Bentley also pledged that the new company formed from the merger of CWC/Columbus would create more than 500 jobs between now and 2019 through growth in its services and by reviewing current outsourcing arrangements.
“We will enhance the quality of our customers’ experience, as we invest in jobs closer to our Caribbean customers, “he said.
The new company will become the leading regional supporter of net neutrality and provide full access to legal ‘over-the-top’ (OTT) services. The company also re-affirmed its commitment for Local Number Portability (LNP), which will enable customers to exercise the freedom of keeping their telephone numbers, should they choose to switch operators.
“We are keen to facilitate consumer choice – it’s our customers who define service excellence – and the freedom to access OTT services and to port mobile or fixed line telephone numbers is a key element of our strategy,” Bentley said.
Meanwhile Columbus CEO Brendan Paddick said, “our job is to keep our customers satisfied, and if we do not deliver an exceptional experience, we can’t expect their patronage. You can’t contract customer loyalty — you have to earn it”.
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CWC/Columbus new company will invest US$400m in broadband expansion
