Digicel

Digicel Providenciales.

Digicel is one of the two major telecommunications companies in the Turks and Caicos (the other being Flow). Digicel provides a range of cellular telephone services, digital TV, mobile home broadband, fiber internet, and other consulting services.

History

Digicel was granted their spectrum license on March 31, 2006, which required that 49% of equity was offered to Turks and Caicos Islanders and that at least one director would be a Turks and Caicos Islander. The equity requirement of 49% was required in order to maintain the license.

Telemedia, a local company headed by E.J. Saunders, was Digicel’s partner and E.J. Saunders was the first CEO of Digicel Turks and Caicos.

Digicel was initially granted a block of 40,000 telephone numbers. All local numbers which start with a “3” are Digicel numbers.

Acquisition of WIV Cable TV and Express Internet

On April 1, 2014, Digicel purchased WIV Cable TV, which also owned the TCExpress cable internet service. In November 2014, WIV was re-launched as Digicel Play (cable internet and cable TV). This was Digicel’s foray into the home entertainment and internet market.

Fiber Internet

In 2018, shortly after hurricanes Irma and Maria, Digicel was granted a 50-year license to install underground fiber cable to provide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). In February 2018, Digicel announced this 15 million investment, and construction started shortly thereafter.

Located in Leeward Highway

Leeward Highway is the main highway on Providenciales, and runs from the Downtown and airport area to the far eastern end of the island. Many of the island’s larger stores and businesses are located along this four-lane route.