Across the ocean, but just a phone call away
Antigua is renowned for up-to-date telecom services available to both residential and business customers. The island’s telephone line penetration has grown exceptionally over the past 10 years, giving it one of the best rates in the Caribbean, with approximately 50 telephone lines per 100 people. In addition, "Antigua & Barbuda has one of the highest call completion rates in the Caribbean, due to our ultra-modern and sophisticated telecommunications network," said Esworth Martin, General Manager of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA).
APUA provides electricity and water, as well as telecommunication services including telephone and DSL-based internet. Its Telephone Division provides a fully automatic digital service to more than 35,000 domestic and business customers. The telephone penetration rate is 48%, meaning almost one person per home in Antigua & Barbuda is an APUA customer. With the recent launch of its Inet DSL internet service, the company has become Antigua and Barbuda’s all-encompassing communications provider. With Inet, business and residential customers are guaranteed the highest levels of Internet security and reliability.
With a focus on providing modern and efficient services, APUA is celebrated for working to bring the latest innovations to Antigua and Barbuda. For example, the authority has invested heavily in an underground fiber optic network that serves as the backbone of the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure. This technology offers resilience to natural or manmade disasters, as well as providing optimal service. "The fiber optic technology available in Antigua provides fast and reliable service to the entire island," Martin explained. The Telecommunication Division of APUA has ensured that the infrastructure in Antigua and Barbuda is prepared with "features on demand" well into this new century.
"Telecommunications here in Antigua & Barbuda has been ahead of the field both in mobile competition and local fixed line telephones, but it is not just about staying ahead today, it is about looking to the future," Martin said. "We plan to stay ahead of the curve." This plan includes millions of dollars of investment in top equipment, outside line plants, exchange buildings, underground ducts and cabling.
APUA/PCS (Personal Communication Services) was established to increase access to ICT-based services. The company is, in fact, now celebrating seven years in existence, with the launch of its mobile services back in 25 Jan, 2000. There is competition in the market from major players like Digicel and AT&T, but APUA/PCS has major market share control, and a mobile digital GSM service.
APUA/PCS was the first in the English-speaking Caribbean to introduce GSM technology. "Our services are of first-world standards, we offer a roaming network which is growing constantly and have a better penetration percentage than any other wireless service provider in the region," explained Mr. Martin. APUA/PCS is justifiably held in high regard throughout the region as a very successful indigenous Antiguan enterprise, and locally there is continuing strong support of this homegrown enterprise. "We credit determination of our exceptional staff and the loyalty of our patriotic customers, who have supported our locally born company and assisted in keeping the entity alive," Martin said.
It is also the originality of the company that has aided in its long-term success. For example, APUA/PCS had a breakthrough innovation in the local regional mobile industry when the company introduced "Calling Party Pays" as a basic standard, resulting in an incalculable improvement in local productivity and social convenience. "We were the first in the region to offer free incoming calls from mobile to mobile and landline to mobile," said Martin. They therefore have a reputation for advancing the market, and the community places high expectations on APUA/PCS, expectations that they seem to satisfy with ease. The most recent development is a new marketing drive called "My Style," branded as the new face of PCS, and all about the customer. "PCS is tailoring its service to meet every lifestyle need, so your PCS is anything that you want it to be," a representative from APUA/PCS said. The customized approach demonstrates the customer-centric mentality of the company as well. "In order to be a top of the line service, your customer must come first. So we now offer a range of top handsets and flexible service plans, so that you can design a service that fits your style," the representative added.
One can say that APUA is a parent of Antigua and Barbuda, reliably supplying water, electricity, phone service and internet to the twin islands. With the strong management, dedicated staff and innovative team at APUA, investors, citizens and visitors can rest assured that the infrastructure of Antigua and Barbuda is in good hands.
