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Docomo welcomes GTA entry to CNMI
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Posted on Dec 10 2013
The more the merrier.
That seems to be Docomo Pacific’s sentiments regarding GTA’s long-delayed attempt to enter the CNMI market.
“We welcome competition, for sure. GTA is trying to get into Saipan but obviously they’re being blocked…so that’s their battle. Competition breeds better service and better pricing for the general public,” said Docomo Pacific general manager James Nelson.
He said that GTA actually is a bigger competition to Docomo than IT&E is in Guam.
“Docomo is the largest wireless carrier in the Marianas. We’re No. 2 on Saipan but we’re No. 1 in Guam and GTA is No. 2 in Guam. We [Docomo and GTA] are actually direct competitors because GTA also has digital TV. They have TV, landline, Internet, and wireless and so do we. They’re our big competitor in Guam. We’re not competing with them here because obviously they’re not in the CNMI.”
This comes a few days after Saipan Tribune reported that negotiations between GTA and IT&E have failed.
Nonetheless GTA Teleguam executive vice president Daniel J. Tidings said the company remains committed to expanding to the Commonwealth.
He also disclosed that the disposition of the legal case that IT&E filed on Saipan will proceed with the CNMI court.
In October 2011, the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission approved GTA’s application to provide local exchange services in the Commonwealth. The company initially planned to begin operations in the CNMI in mid-2012 but that did not happen after IT&E sought a rehearing on GTA’s application and then filed a case against the CPUC on the decision it made on GTA.
