‘Saintel’ St Helena’s new potential internet service and communication provider announced this week that they are launching their new business venture as an Island wide Internet service provider tailored for the future needs of St Helena.
The Wireless thinking provider has promised that everyone from residential to business users on St Helena will benefit from the 21st century capability that is due for rollout in 2023 providing they can get the government’s approval to deliver the service.
The question you might ask as a local internet user or visitor returning to St Helena in the future is what is going to be different about Saintel.
Forward thinking and long-time campaigner of internet connectivity to St Helena Christian von der Ropp together with Karl Thrower, a local business owner here on St Helena, who is behind the Saintel venture have set up the provider to operate as a non-profit organisation.
Saintel’s vision is to offer eighty percent of the Islands population the option to connect to the Saintel wireless high speed network within the first 12 months, they are also keen to share their network capability with international tech companies who want to trial and develop other technologies within the industry.
Some of Saintel’s published business objectives once the fibre optic cable is connected to St Helena are:
- To provide affordable, reliable, high speed access to residential and businesses users on St Helena through a non-profit entity.
- Support the Island community, embracing the digital transformation.
- Help to mitigate the issues arising from St Helena‘s remoteness through the many new possibilities offered by the Internet.
- Increase digital literacy and develop local skill sets through the correct training in digital technology.
- Stop capital outflow (a key economic problem here on St Helena) caused by monopolist‘s dividend payments to its overseas parent. Instead, help to create more local circulation of money
- Support the global Information and Communications Technology industry to trial new technologies, applications and products.
- Collaborate with potential satellite earth station operators (infrastructure sharing) to unlock synergies and make St Helena more attractive to earth station operators.
Saintel will be incorporated under the laws of St Helena as a non-profit Private Limited Company by Guarantee. Saintel’s vision is to enable one of the most isolated communities in the world to join the global Information Society and to leapfrog into the broadband age and contribute to closing St Helena‘s digital divide.
Saintel’s plan or the market entry of any another communications service provider on St Helena will only be possible if SHG allow competition by removing the exclusivity clause provided in Sure’s current license
Note the current exclusive public telecommunications licence with Sure SA Ltd will expire at the end on 31 December 2022, so no new provider could start operation before 2023
St Helena Government is in the process of a tender process to determine the next Public Electronic Communication Networks and Services provider/s for the Island.
St Helena online welcome any thoughts on expectations as a customers post fibre optic cable delivery on St Helena.
