and Digicel has won a mobile license for the Pacific nation of Fiji - breaking the long term monopoly enjoyed by Vodafone. Four companies had submitted bids, but Digicel won with a tender of US$10.25 million.
Interim Commerce Minister Tom Ricketts noted that “This outcome has left a possible third PCTMS license, pursuance of a third entrant into the mobile phone market which will be left to the Telecommunication Authority of Fiji (TAF) Board when they choose to do so,”
The other three firms who submitted bids were Pacific Spectrum Holdings, Telecom Pacific and Unwired Fiji. The government also earned US$2 million in tender fees. Interim Commerce Minister Tom Ricketts said there was only one successful bid because the other three bidders did not meet all the requirements. Mr Ricketts said Digicel would be issued a licence once it paid its bid offer of $US10.25million ($F15.4m).
He said the entry of any third player in the cellular mobile market “will be left to the Telecommunication Authority of Fiji when they choose to do so”.
He said the TAF would be formed in the upcoming weeks.
Digicel will have to wait until October before entering the commercial market as agreed in a deal to de-regulate the market.
Vodafone Fiji ended the year with just under 380,000 subscribers according to figures from the Mobile World database - which represents a population penetration level of just 41% - leaving plenty of opportunity for the new entrant.
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