The Barbadian firm Neptune Communications has received the green light to set up shop in Jamaica.

Founder and CEO of Neptune Communications Julian Jordan says the Jamaican operation has received formal approval from the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to officially begin operations locally.

According to Jordan, the approval came after Neptune satisfied all requirements to obtain a licence to operate across the island as the newest satellite technology service provider.

“We are very happy to be here, we have a great team here, and Jamaica was very obvious in growing our business. As a regional entity you have to come to Jamaica sooner or later,” Jordan told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview.

He said Neptune will provide dependable, independent redundancy for several major government and corporate clients to ensure more reliable connectivity in the country.

Jordan was supported by long-time telecommunications specialist Brian Bennett-Easy, who will serve as the first managing director of Neptune Communications Jamaica.

“We received formal final sign-off on May 10, 2022. So we have moved to hit the ground running to roll out our suite of products and services. We are eager to offer our services in Jamaica given that there have been gaps in service delivery from those already in the space, particularly during the novel coronavirus pandemic,” said Bennett-Easy who spent several years as chief operating officer of Digicel Jamaica

“We want to serve our Jamaican customers with the highest level of customer service with our technology, which is reliable, safe, and brings the latest technology innovation to the Jamaican market,” added Bennett-Easy who was appointed in 2021 to bring expert knowledge and guide the company through its various stages to cement its place as an innovative technology leader in Jamaica.

Bennett-Easy pointed out that the company is completing its operational set-up and getting people trained.

He said Neptune will have the ability to provide resilient connection to entities if a hurricane, earthquake, or just a traffic accident knocks out service.

“Our focus is really on bridging the gap between being up 90 per cent of the time and being up 100 per cent of the time…and we are not here to compete with the incumbents, this is now to provide support to businesses which are really serious about remaining online.

“So what Neptune is doing is…using a combination of satellite and mobile infrastructure that is independent of the existing service providers so that is an alternative providing independent options for discerning users of communications services to think about,” declared Bennett-Easy.

He told the Observer that Neptune envisions that its arrangements with global satellite service providers utilising the latest technology will ensure coverage of the entire island and the Caribbean as a whole.

The company’s objective is to ensure rapid recovery and event mitigation by always keeping customers online and ensuring 100 per cent business availability.

In underscoring the company’s plans, Jordan told the Observer that Neptune Communications Jamaica is benefiting from the best there is in the marketplace.

“Brian has brought his professional outlook, strategic expertise and knowledge, and his guidance and leadership to the company. We are expecting great things in the months and years to come as our services are critical to the continuity of business, processes, and the operations of the country,” declared Jordan.

“In today’s world you really have to make extraordinary efforts to ensure that the network does not go down. It must stay on always because people now rely on the Internet and the connectivity in ways that they didn’t 10, 15, 20 years ago. So it becomes very, very costly for you to be cut off from your cellphone or your business to be cut off from your Internet,” said Jordan.

He said Neptune’s operations will include a network operating centre based in Jamaica with backup/failover support in Barbados.

“Within the coming weeks, Neptune Jamaica and the wider group will finalise our operational cadence. Some customer service kits are already on the island, with more en route and on order in preparation for an expected above-average hurricane season. This is a mission critical roll out given possible exogenous shocks that may come. Our mission critical drive is to ensure Jamaica is always on,” Bennett-Easy said.

He added that Neptune Jamaica will incorporate resilient Internet connectivity to transform the capabilities of the island’s public safety, national security, and disaster management communities.