Prime Minister, Mark Phillips who also holds responsibility for the telecommunications sector, has filed several criminal charges against Gregory Dean, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digicel Guyana.
The charges which will be heard on October 22, 2021, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court at 8:30 am state that the company engaged in the unauthorized use of spectrum. It was also noted that the company failed to comply with several notices to cease such activities.
The particulars of the offence note that Dean, between September 25, 2021, and October 1, 2021, knowingly authorized, permitted, or acquiesced in the company’s failure to comply with directions issued under Regulations 9(4) (b) and 11 of the Telecommunications (Spectrum Management) Regulations 2020, as well as a notice that was served on September 23, 2021, to cease unauthorized usage within 24 hours of notice.
It was noted that between December 1, 2020, and October 4, 2021, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, Digicel Guyana made use of Spectrum in the 1800MHz band without the company first having obtained a frequency authorization. Also, between November 11, 2020, and October 1, 2021, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, court documents state that Digicel Guyana made use of Spectrum in the 700MHz band, for which a frequency authorization issued under the Act is required but it did not obtain.
It was also noted that U-Mobile [Cellular) Inc., a body corporate, also operating as Digicel Guyana September 25, 2021, and October 1, 2021, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, being served with a Notice from the Telecommunication Agency, dated September 23, 2021, containing a direction to cease within twenty-four hours of the said Notice, the unauthorized usage of Spectrum in the 700MHz band, failed to comply with that direction within the specified twenty-four hour period.
The company is also facing other charges for unauthorized spectrum usage, one of which speaks to the failure to comply with a notice dated September 23, 2021, to desist usage of the Spectrum in the 1800MHz band.
