Fast Growing Telecom Provider
Digicel, owned by the Irish billionaire, Denis O’Brien, became a prominent telecom provider to millions in less than a decade. Entering its first market in Jamaica, the company was founded in April, 2001, and has its headquarters in Jamaica, but is incorporated in Bermuda. Digicel managed to grow from zero to 100,000 customers in approximately a hundred days. Its success is exemplary. Sixteen years later, Digicel owns a big share of the global telecom market, with US $5 billion invested in its 31 markets in the Caribbean, Central America, Asia and the Pacific region and fourteen million subscribers. Already present in Aruba and Curacao, Digicel acquired the mobile business from TELBO, the local operator on Bonaire, in December, 2006. In doing so, the telecom company became the first mobile operator connecting Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao under one GSM network. Bonaire was a promising and growing market, especially in regard to its agreed upon direct connection with the Netherlands in 2006, and the scheduled dismantlement of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010. What started out as a small operation on an island with a little over 12,000 inhabitants is now an office that includes the retail customer experience store in Kralendijk with about thirteen staff members. And while the population of Bonaire grows, so does Digicel Bonaire. Its branch in Bonaire is registered at the Chamber of Commerce as Antilliano Port, Inc.
“Life is all about communication”
Developing Communities
With three telecom service providers, all on a reasonably small island and all competing for the 18,905 inhabitants (2015), the Bonairean market is highly competitive. Digicel Bonaire has distinguished itself within the market through their postpaid and prepaid GSM mobile service, business solutions and ICT services, mobile advertising products, leading edge technologies and through their active involvement in the community’s growth and development
Digicel is the main sponsor of the Special Olympics Bonaire, the Bonaire Sailing School Association, Cultural Park Mangazina di Rei with its monthly cultural market and the Kralendijk National Stadium. But that’s not all. As the telecom provider, Digicel strongly believes in working together, giving back and prosperity for all, especially for people with special needs th organisation has been a fervent supporter of Special Olympics Bonaire for over ten years. Digicel Bonaire also supports various events and annual celebration days such as Dia di Boneiru (Bonaire Day), Dia di Rincon (Rincon Day), Tumba Carnival and the National Carnival.
The most recent examples of their community involvement were the fifteenth (15) annual Walk-A-Thon for Special Olympics Bonaire and efforts to help accomplish an interactive national debate on children’s rights by providing the organizers with phones and connections, free of charge. Supporting the development of communities also means taking care of the environment. By adding solar panels and wind panels to their cell sites, the proper separation and disposal of batteries and return of unrepairable handsets to the manufacturers for recycling, Digicel Bonaire has a keen awareness about the importance of preserving nature and the environment for the children. Development of, and contributing to the community, is also what drives Business Sales Manager Ivan Abdul. According to Ivan Abdul, connecting people in the best possible ways is the most important job. “Life is all about communication”, he states. “Through communication in the broadest sense, one contributes to development and Digicel makes it possible by offering the best network, the best service, the best value and the best business solutions products to our customers.” The Business Sales Manager is a living example of giving back and helping the community to develop. Growing up on Bonaire, Ivan decided to be true to his roots by coming back as soon as he finished his study in the Netherlands. After a diversion into road engineering, he took the highway and obtained his degree in Small Business and Retail Management at the Avans College in Breda. The young, business driven entrepreneur came back to Bonaire and started to work for Digicel Bonaire in 2011, as a Business Sales Executive and later took on the responsibilities as the Business Sales Manager in June, 2016. Together with his team, he ensures the growth and sustainability of the Digicel Business Solutions product line thereby supporting the economic growth of the island.
Great Ambitions
Digicel has great ambitions for the future as the enterprise plans to take communication to the next level with an ongoing global network transformation program in partnership with the Chinese multinational telecommunication equipment and systems company, ZTE. Moreover, the main goal of the Digicel 2030 strategy is to put customers in control and keep them connected wherever they go. The plan entails a global, business wide scale, transformation agenda through re-designing their organization and delivering, as they call it, “an amazing network experience”. By adopting a digital first approach offering multiple customer contact options with self-care, an enhanced My Digicel app, live chat, email and increased interaction on digital channels, as well as simplified plans and options, the telecom provider will focus on straightforward, simple communications, a refreshed retail experience and powerful new products and services. The upgrade of its networks and platforms has already led to the roll out of microwave technology at the homes of their customers and mobile broadband connectivity. The re-designing of the Digicel organization means the undertaking of a complete re-design of their organizational structure, including regional hubs delivering back office centralized functions and shared services in order to facilitate the customer facing staff to focus on meeting and exceeding customers’ needs and expectations. By doing so Digicel, the branch on Bonaire included, is preparing to keep on connecting people and putting the customers’ needs first, in the present and the future.