AFTER decades of operating under monopolies, the country's telecommunications industry has finally been deregulated.
This comes after mediations between the interim Government and the major stakeholders.
The transition, however, to a more competitive telecom regime is subject to the approval of the interim Cabinet and the appropriate boards.
The agreement follows negotiations over four days between the interim Minister for Communications, Taito Waradi, the interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and the directors and managements of Telecom Fiji Limited, Vodafone Fiji Limited, Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL) and Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Limited (ATH).
The mediations to agree on conditions for deregulating the industry was facilitated by mediators appointed by the World Bank.
According to a press release from the Department of Information yesterday, all parties were looking forward to bringing the process to a productive and collaborative conclusion. The agreement was signed early on Tuesday morning at the meeting venue in one of the big resorts in Nadi.
Following that, ATH chief executive Tomasi Vakatora said they participated in the mediation in good faith.
He said they had a lot of commitment in the mediations and was reflected in the agreement.
