UTS signs agreement with Ericsson for GSM

PHILIPSBURG--The Daily Herald-United Telecommunication Services (UTS) signed an agreement with Ericsson yesterday that guarantees delivery and installation in St. Maarten by the internationally known cellular service provider of a GSM switch and nine radio base stations worth NAf. 10 million that will give the island full GSM cellular service coverage.

UTS announced that its service would be launched by the third quarter of this year, giving not only coverage throughout the 37-square-mile island, but also international roaming possibilities and Caribbean-wide coverage, with a spectacular customer care package that would separate UTS from the rest.

The signing ceremony was held at Captain Oliver's Restaurant in Oyster Pond as a symbol of the joining of the French and Dutch sides in an endeavour to provide island-wide cellular service.

Present at the signing ceremony were UTS Windward Islands General Manager Glen Carty, UTS President Julio Constansia, Ericsson Netherlands Antilles Office Director Bengt Bergvall and UTS Manager of Networks Provision Michael Gaari.

During the ceremony Carty donated a cheque of NAf. 5,000 to Emilio Wilson Park Foundation to be used to improve the facilities and aid in its efforts to preserve the island's history.

Present to accept the cheque for the foundation was board member Julius Lambert, who said, "The cheque will be used for education and preservation of the history of St. Maarten." He also thanked Carty for his innovative drive to always ensure that UTS is one step ahead in telecommunications for the benefit of all people living in St. Maarten.

Constansia said, "Today we not only want to reaffirm our responsibility towards the community of the Windward Islands, but we also want to offer St. Maarten and the other islands of the Windward Islands an alternative with regard to their telecommunications needs."

He noted that UTS was also signing a roaming agreement with the French cellular service provider Orange Caraib as its strategic partner in the launch of the GSM service.

According to Constansia, "Customers will also be able to roam in Curacao, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and soon in the Dominican Republic, the USA, Portugal, India and Aruba."

Carty said, "Today it goes to show that properly structured and controlled competition is definitely working to the benefit of the inhabitants of St. Maarten."

He stated, "Several things had to be looked at before getting to this stage: first the need for the service, the obtaining of a licence, along with the planning phase and the civil work which is now in progress."

He also took the opportunity to thank key players in the company for their input in the preparation stages of the GSM service.

He said, "Because of the lack of a 100 per cent cellular service on the island, we felt that the need was there."

"Because of the launch of UTS' GSM mobile service, just as in the past with the lowering of international rates and the introduction of our broadband Internet service, our competitors are forced to upgrade their service and adjust their rates," he added.

Constansia said, "We are convinced that UTS' services will position St. Maarten as a technologically progressive island in the eyes of all the investors and tourists who come here."