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DIGICEL ACHIEVED MORE THAN 100% SUBSCRIBER GROWTH IN 2006
Caribbean’s Fastest-Growing Mobile Telecom Provider Gained Significant
Ground in 2006; Strategic New Operations and Acquisitions Resulted in
Record Growth
JANUARY 8, 2007 — THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA:
Digicel
today
announced its growth achievements in 2006.
Achieving record growth in 2006, Digicel ended the year with a total
investment in the Caribbean region exceeding US $1.5 billion, operations
in 22 markets and more than
4.0
million customers, representing subscriber growth in excess of 100%. In
Haiti alone, where Digicel launched in May 2006, the company reached a
milestone of one million customers after just eight months of operation.
“Digicel’s progress in 2006 reinforced our position as the largest GSM
provider in the Caribbean region, with sustained growth in our existing
markets and unrivaled growth through our entrance into new markets, such
as Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and El Salvador,” said Colm Delves,
Digicel Group CEO.
Digicel achieved a number of key milestones in 2006. These include:
-
New Mobile
Markets:
Since launching Haiti operations in May 2006, Digicel rapidly gained
market share reaching one million customers by year end.
In Haiti, a country with a population of 8.5 million and combined
fixed and cellular penetration of 5.7%, Digicel brought an
unprecedented investment of US $260 million to the developing nation
– the largest investment ever made in the country by an
international company.
Digicel also
launched new telecommunications services in additional markets,
including Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and
Bonaire.
-
Strategic
Acquisitions:
In October 2006, Digicel acquired El Salvador mobile operator
Digicel Holdings Limited, marking the company’s first entry into the
burgeoning Central American mobile telecommunications market. In
November 2006, Digicel acquired U Mobile in Guyana and has plans to
re-brand-that business later this year. In the first half of 2006,
Digicel acquired Bouygues Telecom Caraibe, which extended the
company’s mobile operations to Martinique, Guadeloupe and French
Guiana.
-
Technical
Innovation:
Digicel
continued to significantly expand its product portfolio and customer
offerings, introducing many first to market innovations such as
Credit Me/Credit U top up, Missed Call Alerts, CaribFlex (allowing
credit to be added to Digicel phones from the UK), Push-to-Talk, as
well as introducing new BlackBerry devices including the
cutting-edge BlackBerry Connect. The rollout of Digicel’s WiMAX
technology brought the service to new regions.
-
Employees:
In response to the company’s rapid growth in the Caribbean, Bermuda,
and South and Central America, Digicel reached a 3,000 employee
milestone and introduced the one-of-its-kind company-wide employee
share option program, designed to reward each Digicel employee for
their outstanding contributions to the company’s business success.
-
Capital Markets
and Bond Offering:
Digicel closed a US $150 million bond offering in August 2006 to
fuel strategic growth opportunities in Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago.
Led by investment banks Citigroup and J.P. Morgan, the bond
financing represented strong investor confidence in the company’s
continued expansion efforts in both countries.
“2006
had several major achievements and milestones for Digicel” said Delves.
“We look forward to 2007 and continuing our ambitious growth in key
target markets.”
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