NTUCB Welcomes Telecom Competition, Calls Speednet’s Press Release as a Bitter Document

The NTUCB also spoke about Speednet Communications’ and its latest public statement issued on Friday.  President Ella Waight says it was a bitter document, but that the unions and the social partners still welcome the competition between Smart and BTL.

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB:  “We agree with competition, right? Competition is good, but fair competition is better. We support genuine competition in telecommunications because consumers benefit, you benefit, I benefit. The service is better and we have competitive prices. However, the recent Smart / Speednet release, I don’t know about you, but it left a bad taste in the workers of this country’s mouths. We found it to be vindictive rather than constructive and consistent with the principles of fair competition. Our position is not an anti-Smart position or anti-Speednet. Our position is protecting national assets and defense of BTL. And that is what we must spread out to our members and to the workers of this country, defending BTL.”

In its release on Friday, Smart noted that going forward, government ministries must put telecommunications contracts out to public tender. It also said BTL must comply with regulatory measures related to market dominance and share telecommunications infrastructure with competitors at cost. Smart also pledged to invest in new technology and infrastructure as it continues competing with BTL.  We will have more from today’s NTUCB press conference in tomorrow’s newscast.