Digicel Breaks Vodafone Monopoly in Fiji

Digicel Pacific has launched a US$70 million GSM network in Fiji - breaking the monopoly held by Vodafone. The launch of Digicel Fiji follows launches in Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Digicel Pacific CEO Vanessa Slowey said, "Fiji is Digicel's twenty-eighth market launch worldwide, to date. The people of Fiji have put up with inadequate services for far too long -- Digicel Fiji will provide innovative and accessible telecommunications services that meet and exceed customer demand, and advance Fiji's mobile technology to an entirely new level."

Since receiving a license in Fiji in May 2008, Digicel has put together a workforce of more than 170 employees, as well as creating an estimated 10,000 additional jobs through its local dealerships and partners. The company has opened 14 flagship stores and has more than 25,000 top-up locations across the country. The company is led by Mr. John Delves, CEO of Digicel Fiji, who has over ten years of senior management experience in some of the UK and Ireland's largest FMCG companies Greencore and The Kerry Group and most recently was CEO of Digicel Vanuatu.

The country's former monopoly operator, Vodafone ended the first half of this year with a shade over 606,000 subscribers - and according to the Mobile World subscriber tracker, that represents a population penetration level of 65%.

On the web: Digicel Fiji - Mobile World

Posted to the site on 30th September 2008