Minister Theo Heyliger on Thursday made good on a promise to drop his UTS Blackberry service in favour of TelCell’s Blackberry service.
The Minister’s action follows a war of words with the Curacao-based carrier over St. Maarten Government representation on the UTS Board.
On Thursday Minister Heyliger was called to the TelEm Group Building on Pond Island where he was presented with a brand new TelCell Blackberry Smartphone for immediate use.
TelEm Group Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Helma Etnel made the presentation of a Blackberry Smartphone, noting that the Minister’s choice was not for the fanciest, latest or most expensive handset, but "one that simply works".
"We are proud that Minister Heyliger has placed such public confidence in TelCell’s Blackberry service. We will certainly work hard to keep his confidence and urge the general public to follow his lead by making use of their own local telephone company," said Mrs. Entel.
She said while visiting the company’s main office, the Minister was shown how services have been expanding in recent months along with ambitious telecommunication plans for the future.
"We informed Minister Heyliger that with the Blackberry alone, we have grown beyond expectations in a very short period of time," added Mrs. Etnel.
She said the Minister’s support of St. Maarten’s own telecommunication carrier is most welcomed and may even be a turning point towards more public support for the national telecommunication company.
Mrs. Etnel said the company’s new 3G network is another reason for personnel and the public to be proud because once again TelEm Group is in the forefront of telecommunication services on St. Maarten by providing customers with the country’s very first 3G service.