T+, whose entrance into the Cape Verdean cellular phone market has ben awaited since mid-2006, only now believes it is in a position to begin operating in the country. “This time, we’re ready to get started,” says Marco Bento, the president of the administrative council of T+, a company held by Telyium (the owner of Ivory Coast’s largest cell phone operator, Telecel), US-based ASG and Bento himself, who is Cape Verdean.

At the moment, according to Bento, the company is adapting the building that will house its headquarters in Praia’s Achada de Santo António neighborhood and is awaiting the arrival of retransmitting equipment to begin installing its transmission towers.

The 70 towers, manufactured by Ericsson, will guarantee coverage throughout all of Cape Verde’s territory. Indeed, one of the reasons for T+’s delay in intering the market were the complicated negotiations held with the Swedish multinational, which took place at the end of 2006. With the accord reached, T+ is Ericcson’s only representative in West Africa.

In its first phase, T+ will give priority to the islands of Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista, Fogo and São Nicolau, with retransmitting stations to be installed on Brava, Santo Antão and Maio in a later phase. Work on the installation of the towers will be carried out by Portuguese company Tegail, which also installed Cabo Verde Telecom’s antennas.

With total investments of approximately 2 billion escudos, T+ will attempt to conquer the mobile phone market in Cape Verde, and hopes to cont between 25,000 and 35,000 clients by December of this year. According to Bento, T+ will operate in dual band (900 and 1800) in Praia and Mindelo, and will have roaming protocols in 64 countries, including the United States, Brazil and a number of African and European countries.

Source A Semana