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The Company has made significant investment
in technologically upgrading its network.
Fibre Optic
Fibre Optic systems have been deployed, and fibre optic cables
run from Georgetown to Diamond, to Beterverwagting, to Timehri,
to Skeldon, to Linden, to Parika and Mahaicony serving all communities
in their path.
These cables provide bandwidth and greater flexibility for use.
They will eventually be linked to form a self-healing ring which
will allow traffic flow in either direction and so ensure continuity
in the event that the cables are damaged. A special fibre optic
ring encircles Georgetown to provide high-speed data services for
the business community.
Wireless
The Company has had to be creative in order to meet the challenges
of providing telephone services to the scattered population centres
of Guyana and it has pioneered the introduction of new technologies.
Northern Telecoms Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution, for example,
was brought in during 1996 to be deployed specifically in the Essequibo
region. Today, FWA has spread to the West Demerara, East Bank Demerara,
North and South Ruimveldt and Berbice.
Earth Stations
When GT&T started operations in 1991, there was one Earth Station
at its Thomas Lands location to facilitate international traffic.
Since then, a similar Earth Station has been constructed at Beterverwagting,
and two other smaller ones established at Lethem and Port Kaituma.
Another Earth Station is currently being installed at Mabaruma. This
will further improve service to this area.
To meet the challenges of distance in this vast country, GT&T
has had to utilize the facilities of the domestic satellite.
Demand Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA) sites have been set up
at Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Lethem to provide telephone service
to the three hinterland areas which had very limited telephone service.
Connectivity was made possible through Intelsat's global service
and the network formed by the DAMA sites interfacing with each other.
The Earth Station at Thomas Land
Submarine Fibre Optic Cable
The Submarine Fibre Optic Cable, which is anchored on the bed of
the Demerara River, linking Goergetown to West Demerara, is another
tehnological boon which the Company has introduced. Subscribers
in West Demerara now enjoy a high quality of service.
The submarine fiber optic cable being out across
the Demerara River
The Effect
The Upgraded systems now provide considerable greater line capacity,
speed of communication and substantially improved quality
As a result of the high-speed network service:
· Airlines and travel agencies are able to communicate
directly by high-speed computer networking.
· Money transfer business began to operate.
· Companies, which shied away from setting up business
in Guyana because of the previously poor telephone service, returned.
Among them are hotels, and manufacturing industries
· Multi-location companies now perform and service their
customers with greater efficiency.
Americas II
GT&T placed the country onto the super information highway,
when Guyana joined the many countries in South America and the rest
of the world in being connected to the Americas 11 undersea Fibre
Optic Cable.
The Cable connects North America, South America, the Guianas and
the Dutch, French, Spanish and English Speaking Caribbean territories.
In the Guianas, the cable terminated in French Guiana and terrestrial
extensions in to Suriname and Guyana.
The AmericasII cable being laid across the Corentyne
River which borders Guyana and Suriname
Containerized exchanges
GT&T has introduced several containerized exchanges along Guyana's
Coastland thus taking telephone services for the first time to thousands
of Guyanese.
Here are photos of some of the exchanges:
Port Mourant
Clonbrook
Rose Hall
Cumberland
Blairmont
Pre-Paid Phone Card
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