GTA TeleGuam Supports Stimulus Funding for Needy Areas in Region

Company Salutes Legislative Action to Preserve Telecom Competition on Guam

TAMUNING, Guam--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GTA TeleGuam issued the following statement Thursday evening in Guam in response to a joint statement by the governors of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). GTA TeleGuam also applauds the swift support of Guam Legislature to safeguard the will of the people.

The following statement can be attributed to Daniel J. Tydingco, executive vice president of external affairs for GTA TeleGuam:

"GTA TeleGuam salutes the Guam Legislature for recommending safeguards for protecting the competitive landscape on Guam and reaffirming the policy that they, the Governor and community took five years ago with privatization.

“Consumers and businesses on Guam will be best served by preserving the competitive telecommunications landscape that already exists on island. Clearly, this was the intent of privatization five years ago and it remains the will of the people moving forward.

“Guam and CNMI are very different markets with different needs. This is reflective in the availability and cost of services at both locations.

“With strong competition in Guam, rates are steadily declining, innovation is accelerating and overall service by all carriers is improving. DSL rates in Guam, for example, are three to four times less than CNMI. Why does it cost $6,000 a month for a basic T-1 (1.5 Mbps) connection between CNMI and Guam over a submarine cable that is solely owned by IT&E? This is the cost for 100 times this bandwidth on a connection from Guam to the mainland U.S.A.

“Neither GTA TeleGuam nor the Guam Legislature has questioned the use of funds earmarked for CNMI or Saipan, where need is apparent. What happens on Guam should have no influence on CNMI.

“GTA TeleGuam has no hesitation or reservation in supporting the CNMI, where need is apparent, in securing all the stimulus funds they may need for their communities. Perhaps, CNMI can ask NTIA to sever their needs from those of Guam.

“We would strongly encourage this so competition can also flourish in CNMI without adverse impact to Guam’s thriving landscape.”

About GTA TeleGuam

GTA TeleGuam provides complete communications services on Guam. These include local and long-distance telephone service, 3G wireless, DSL Internet access, and advanced digital television, or IPTV. The company also operates a data center on Guam for offering business data storage and managed wide area networking. Based in Tamuning, Guam, GTA TeleGuam is privately owned and locally managed. Shamrock Capital Advisors, a California-based private equity firm founded as the Roy E. Disney Family investment company, and GE provide financial backing to GTA TeleGuam. The company’s website is www.gta.net. Phone: 1-671-644-4482.

CONTACT:

Media Contact:
GTA TeleGuam
Cora Yanger Bejado
1-671-644-0106 (o)
1-671-488-2672 (m)
cora@gta.net

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Australia/Oceania  District of Columbia  Guam

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Technology  Consumer Electronics  Data Management  Internet  Audio/Video  Telecommunications  Other Technology  Public Policy/Government  Mobile/Wireless  Other Policy Issues  State/Local

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