Telem CEO Responds to Media Inquiry
“TelEm is not currently in discussion or negotiation with any other entity about the sale of the company”, says Kendall Dupersoy, CEO of TelEm Group. In a recent inquiry about the company, Dupersoy responded to a few questions regarding the company’s Fiber project, post-Irma progress, and connectivity in schools. Dupersoy was appointed CEO in January of 2017, months before the devastation of hurricane Irma. Since then, the company has also had to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.
When asked about whether the company is considering being sold he stated “if an opportunity arises to improve the company through any type of collaboration we would consider it, of course taking all of our stakeholders into account.” Any change in the company’s structure can not take place without the approval of Parliament, he added. This was the case in St. Maarten’s sale of its 12.5% shares in United Telecommunications Service (UTS) which was approved unanimously in March 2020. Dupersoy also said that he recognizes the competitive landscape and that TelEm is surrounded by “telecommunications giants” and TelEm is always seeking ways to improve its position financially and technically.
Assuredly the CEO stated, “TelEm is market leader when it comes to home internet connections and that around 50% of our Internet customers are currently connected to our Fiber network.” The heavily marketed “Fiber to the home” project was financed with support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2015 and a bond issue in 2016. The company’s move to fiber is to provide “a much better Internet experience” which they’ve done by also increasing Fiber speed, Dupersoy added.
Regarding the internet service issues the company is facing Dupersoy said “recently we experienced some outages related to a cable damage in Florida, where our cable system is located, but sometimes the problems can also lie by the customer, for example, the customer can have a faulty Wi-Fi extender, the distance between devices and the router can be obstructed, just to name a few.” He also noted that the company recently acquired software “to quickly ascertain issues experienced by customers so we can better service them and immediately provide a solution”.
Another challenge of the company is the St. Maarten Puerto Rico Network One SMPR-1 cable (fiber optic submarine telecommunications cable system) which has been damaged since 2016. It is not yet repaired but reparation is expected in the first quarter of 2022 “after a long permit application process with the US Government” Dupersoy stated. “SMPR-1 belongs to our company SMITCOMS and we can transport any amount of data we want from Puerto Rico to St. Maarten free of charge. For other routes, we would have to pay a monthly recurring fee.”
TelEm currently has two alternative routes however when the cable is repaired SMPR-1 will be the primary route. Dupersoy added that depending on the industry’s development the company will determine if it’s financially and operationally feasible.
In relation to the company’s corporate social responsibility, Dupersoy said, “TelEm provides (semi-) public schools with a free internet connection.” “Especially under these trying circumstances, having a fast internet connection has become a necessity for schools and our students.” The schools currently on Fiber are:
Charlotte Brookson, Sister Magda Primary, Sister Borgia, St. Dominic Primary, Oranje School, Rudy la Bega, Leonard Connor School, St. Maarten Vocational Training School, Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School, Seventh-Day Adventist school, St. Maarten Academy both location and the Methodist Agogic Center schools.
In regards to those not on Fiber, Dupersay added that “the remaining semi-public schools have a DSL connection and will be migrated to Fiber as soon as this becomes available.” Those schools are: Martin Luther King Jr. School, Insular, Prins Willem Alexander School, Foundation Methodist Agogic Center, Milton Peters, St. Peters Hillside.
