Laqtel

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The LaqTel logo was designed by Kenrick Rampial, who won a nationwide competition in October 2005 to design the company's logo.

LaqTel Ltd. ("LaqTel Communications") is a privately held up-start mobile phone and wireless service provider, of Trinidad and Tobago. Currently a division of Telcom Holdings Ltd. (TH), LaqTel was first founded in 2002 by Dr. Joseph Laquis, the current CEO of LaqTel Communications is, Michael Barrow.

1 History
2 Partners
3 Sunbeach
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Laqtel was initially financially backed by a group of local investors who were awarded one of the primer mobile licenses- by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) on July 5, 2005. The licenses awarded to Laqtel and two other bidders formally began the process of mobile competition in Trinidad and Tobago along side the former Telecommunications monopoly provider TSTT.

Laqtel Communications was successful in its submitted bid along with the two other candidates namely: Digicel and Cingular Wireless. The previously three companies were chosen to makeup the initial wireless landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. The further two bidders for licenses: NatTel and Telkom Caribe were unsuccessful in this licensing round.

Prior to the TATT announcement of which companies received licenses, both Digicel and Cingular Wireless had announced a deal where Digicel will acquire from Cingular their entire Caribbean and Bermuda-based wireless networks and licenses, thus possibly leaving only Laqtel and Digicel in Trinidad and Tobago if that pending separate deal goes through.

The entry of Laqtel, Cingular Wireless and Digicel into the local mobile and wireless market place was heralded by many in Trinidad and Tobago as the official start of competition in the wireless industry.

[edit] Partners

Following the announcement of Laqtel being chosen by the TATT, Laqtel announced they had entered into a long term partnership with a Saskatchewan, Canada based corporation named Saskatchewan Telecommunications International. Laqtel further disclosed it intends to launch a CDMA based 3G (CDMA 2000 Ix EV-DO) mobile network to be completed on or around the end of 2005. It is was also made public the intention of the company for the network to be run in partnership with the, government owned SaskTel International corporation. Laqtel, also contracted for their network to comprise of equipment created by Nortel Networks. In November of 2005 the relationship between Laqtel and SaskTel started to sour, and by January 2006 the two companies parted ways. Laqtel has now found a new equity partner in PalTel - the Palistinan Telecoms company and plans to roll out its network late in Q3 early Q4 have restarted.

Pending the Digicel/Cingular Wireless agreement, Laqtel was provided with one of three new mobile service licenses by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to officially bring about competition to wireless monopoly currently held solely in the country by the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. (TSTT).

[edit] Sunbeach

Sunbeach was selected as an attractive launch-pad for regional expansion for LaqTel because there were no mobile or wireless providers using the CDMA technology in Barbados. In addition, Sunbeach which had been awarded a mobile license since August 7th, 2003 was unable to amass the initial capital needed to roll out their own mobile network. The other two mobile providers in Barbados that were awarded mobile licenses at that time; Digicel and AT&T Wireless, had both launched their mobile services since February, 2004. They both ushering in initial competition against the incumbent provider Cable and Wireless, from that time all three continued to amass a huge marketshare of customers while Sunbeach had not yet launched a mobile business.

Telecom Holdings Ltd. placed a sum of US$2.59M in escrow with the Caribbean Money Market Brokers (Barabdos), while it awaited government approval for the acquisition. It was stated that roll-out for LaqTel's parent company in Barbados would be only around US$16M while in its own native Trinidad it would cost somewhere around US$49M. A key aspect of the deal was that Telecom Holdings Limited could create roaming agreements so that Barbados' lucrative one-million plus tourists while on vacation could continue to use their own mobile phones from their home country.

LaqTel has since gained approval and paid US$400,000 to the Government of Barbados to maintain the Sunbeach Communication 2005-2006 mobile license in that country. LaqTel has a very ambitious plan for roll out in Barbados. The company believes with little to no hiccups in the roll-out process the island could have a working Wireless network in the short span of 16 weeks. Costing somewhere between US$7M - US$10M. Plus the US$2.59M cost of purchasing Sunbeach.