The first 4G wireless broadband network in Trinidad and Tobago has been deployed by the majority state-owned operator Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT). The company was issued a temporary licence for the deployment of its fourth generation network in April.
Among the first to benefit from the ‘plug and play’ internet technology were the various Heads of Government who met in Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in late November.
The benefits of the service were outlined during the press conference held to announce the rollout. TSTT vice president Jay Alvi commented: “It contributes to making Trinidad and Tobago a more desirable place for investors and ensures local businesses, regardless of size, have access to communications tools that give them the competitive edge.”
Following on from the previous standards of 2G and 3G, 4G technologies further increase signal strength and data transmission capacity, making internet access more reliable and always available. Such technologies are scarce in the Caribbean, with TSTT’s WiMAX network pioneering 4G technologies ‘on a par with [those available in] developed countries’ in Trinidad and Tobago.
Alvi confirmed that TSTT has invested $100 million in the 4G rollout. The service is currently only available in Port of Spain, but will be extended to cover other areas of Trinidad and Tobago in January 2010.
