Digicel cannot mislead all PNGeans.
Just last week, Digicel came out and blamed Telikom for Numbering Issues for more than 13 sites in PNG not able to make calls into Digicel's Network.
And today, Digicel says (Post Courier p8 30th Oct)it will not allow "free riders" on its network because they've spent over K1b on its network after they've been exposed.
They further claimed that, Digicel is not assisted by the World Bank's IFC and any claims involving this is misleading and defamatory.
However, last year World Bank's IFC admitted helping Digicel Network with huge investment loans.
See more below.
Papua New Guinea, April 7, 2008IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Export Development Canada have signed an agreement with Digicel Ltd. to help increase a nationwide GSM network in Papua New Guinea. The project is expected to expand substantially the reach of telephone service, covering areas previously not reached by existing service providers, as well as improving service quality, stimulating competition in the sector, reducing costs to consumers, and generating significant employment and support to local small and medium enterprises working with Digicel.
IFC, EDC, and a local commercial bank have arranged a US$92 million long-term package on commercial terms, of which IFC will finance US$40 million and EDC
US$25 million
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/media.nsf/content/SelectedPressRelease?OpenDocument&UNID=EC9E893B9A848F6D8525742400589273
Telikom is a national company and the world Bank did not assist them, nor do they have a policy to assist fledgling third world service providers like that,
unless they have their own interests stacked somewhere there. This is a known and established fact.
Going into unprofitable areas are an essential component of Foreign Direct Investors obligation in Licensing conditions for players in this industry. It makes no sense to harp on that.
It's fitting now to call the red team the "BIGGER LIAR NETWORK"
Tell the truth and get on with it. There's no need for another expensive arbitrator on this as reported on the Post Courier today.
Customers from either network know one basic thing - that is, the interconnection worked last June and it should continue to do so.
..........and whatever we do as Papua New Guineans, we need to make sure, that we are not being complicit in dragging the nation back to the slave and master era where the slaves did what was told to do and got paid tobacco for doing the hard work.
It pays to have some residue of patriotism and nationalism rather than being a short-sighted grave digger for our own grandchildren.
The soft economic wars of market grabbing ploys employed by developed economies must be seen for what it is especially in the "service industries".
When we reach a period where the "dig and ship industries" have reached their life-time, there's a tendency of being stuck in perpetual poverty because the "service industries" have also been take over by others. When we realise it, it will be too late to salvage anything!