Digicel and Laqtel Confirmed

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Irish-owned telecom Digicel was awarded a license to provide mobile telephone service in Trinidad, the government announced Monday.

The move came four months after Digicel won an auction for one of two 10-year mobile licenses being offered by the Caribbean nation, one of the last in the region to liberalize its telecommunications sector.Locally based telecom Laqtel won the other license and also received formal approval Monday, Trinidad's telecommunications authority said in a release.

Neither company has disclosed how much it paid for their licenses.

Digicel said it would begin providing cellular service beginning Nov. 30.

"This concession means we are one step closer to launch and we look forward to bringing choice to the people of Trinidad," said Stephen Brewer, CEO of Digicel's Trinidad operations.

Digicel still needs to negotiate interconnectivity agreements with the majority state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago. British telecom Cable & Wireless owns 49 percent of the company.

Digicel, based in Kingston, Jamaica, has said it plans to invest US$190 million (euro158 million) and create 400 local jobs in Trinidad over the next year.

Digicel operates in eight Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, The Cayman Islands, Antigua, and Grenada.

The company recently purchased Cingular Wireless' operations, which will expand its coverage to Bermuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Dominica.