Digicel has been short-listed to secure a cellular phone licence in Trinidad & Tobago, as the Irish company, from its anchor in Jamaica, deepens its investments in the Caribbean.

The company's principal shareholder and chairman, Dennis O'Brien, on Monday night welcomed the prospect of an operation in the twin island republic, declaring it to be one of the richest markets in the region.

"Trinidad pays the highest prices in the Caribbean for mobile services," O'Brien told members of the St Andrew North Rotary club at their weekly meeting held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.

Digicel came to Jamaica in 2000 when it paid the government US$47 million for one of three cellular licences that were being auctioned. It began offering service to Jamaicans by 2002, and quickly overtook the one-time monopoly services provided by C&W, the main cellular company. It now has over one million customers in Jamaica.

Digicel has, true to its commitment, made Jamaica the springboard for what has been a very aggressive foray in the other Caribbean islands, but has yet to establish a foothold in the second largest market - T&T.

On Monday night, O'Brien held out hope of replicating the success in Jamaica across the region.

"We hope that Digicel will be the leaders in T&T, Guyana, Turks and Caicos, Antigua and the Bahamas - territories where there is much growth potential," he told the Rotarians. "We prefer to stay in the region, because our focus is here, where we are building a future."

He again stressed that Jamaica would continue to anchor the regional expansion, describing his firm as "a multinational company, with headquarters in Jamaica".

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