Posted on 06 November 2015.
Editorial – November 6, 2015 :
It has been sometime Cable and Wireless, becoming LIME in the Caribbean had been working hard to be what they were to consumers when they practically had a monopoly. It is possible they knew that could not continue forever, especially that have been among the corporate citizens a country could ask for. No one who are old enough should forget that but for them West Indies cricket may not have enjoyed the strides teams enjoyed into the new millennium.
The announcement today, as local general manager said in a release announcing the rebranding of LIME to FLOW making reference to ‘loyal customers’ of whom they must be many, they were no doubt wondering how long they can remain loyal. That is so as it appeared that LIME was becoming the competition to new comer DIGICEL.
A few years ago we asked C&W executives in Jamaica, how they were taking the competition with new telecom companies moving in on them in the Caribbean. They gave a surprising answer when they declared that it was a good for them. They said they woke up, for if nothing else they then realised they had not been touting the good they had been doing and continue to do; and it taught them how to do more for their customers. Just about then C&W began their rebranding and that has been ongoing and changing. In Montserrat meantime the complaint was the equipment was old and it was costly to repair. And if they had to rely on Montserrat business, where is the economy to support it?
Here in Montserrat it appeared they must have been going through difficult times. We do not know with any certainty what their plans were when they reduced an obvious shell operation almost, different from not long after the crisis when forced to offer redundancy packages or the like to staff.
In October last year Montserrat announced upgrade of services, internet and 4G and an injection of $2.5 million to improve their services to Montserrat. That was two months before the red DIGICEL came on the scene after many impatient and dissatisfied with LIME, customers kept begging for years, “we need a competition.” But it was obvious that something was not going well with them and they had also publicized their plans to merge with a big company, which seemed to put the upgrade plans on hold or go slow.
During all this time and with Digicel emerging on the scene, bringing their new or not so different marketing skills as expected from the newness, we hear of plans for fibre optic cable. But alas, like most other things and especially in recent times, the last time we checked plans were still on the drawing-board much further back that we had been led to believe by the previous government.
We are left to believe that they do not realise what that can do for Montserrat. There are businesses, not many perhaps, but we know some who rely heavily on reliable and good internet service. We know it will bring numerous other businesses to Montserrat. It will improve the off-sure banking businesses and in other several ways improve Montserrat’s economy.
It seems lethargy is far too ingrained in the psyche of the people who must set the machineries in motion. But we warn, it may well what we have been complaining of for too long now, for nothing seemed to have changed.
TMR has been running a series by ’De Ole Dawg’ who tries to get the attention. (Note: Part 2 seem to have some badness that will not allow it to properly appear – please check www.themontserratyreporter.com site or Facebook until we get it in print. We apologise especially to the concerned).The contents are very serious, urgent and important ideas. We realise our elected leaders always become experts in everything, the day they get elected and need to hear nothing from anyone. And of course they find in many public servants the very same old attitude, they know more than everyone else. Then there is the ‘private sector’ who are either too tired, afraid or just simply too incompetent to understand that it is only as ONE UNCTIONING unit, they will make a difference.
