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We are Prepared To Fight- Martin

We are prepare to fightAntigua Public Utilities Authority General Manager, Esworth Martin, said the re-launch of APUA mobile phone service, now I-Mobile, is a statement that the company is prepared for a fight to regain market share.

Martin said I-Mobile, formerly PCS, once a major player in the mobile phone market, now only controls less than twenty percent of the market dominated by the foreign-owned giants, LIME and Digicel.

“We just launched I-Mobile one week ago and while the response has been positive, we don’t anticipate that this would result in a significant jump in market share, but our overall aim is to be the market leader in the mobile phone business,” a confident Martin told Caribarena.com.

The general manager said APUA has spent ‘significant amounts of money’ investing in new technologies to improve I-Mobile overall service and quality. “We have added new switching equipment, new cell sites that provide the best coverage on Antigua, and we have upgraded our network capabilities to ensure that we can entice customers to our improved service,” he added.

Martin said he is very much aware that I-Mobile competitors will not sit back idly and watch the locally-owned company reclaim lost market share. “We recognize that we have formidable competitors, we always knew this, but we also know that we are capable of competing ferociously,” he declared.

Asked about the challenges the state-owned company faces even from within senior government circles where one Cabinet minister is known to openly side with one of the foreign mobile companies, Martin would only note that as a state-owned statutory entity, ‘one would have expected a greater level of support from some quarters’. He declined to comment any further.


On the choice of national cultural icon, Sir Vivian Richards as the Brand Ambassador for I-Mobile, Martin said Sir Vivian has been working with APUA for a while and that his selection was no accident. “Sir Viv and I-Mobile have a lot in common, both are indigenous entities, and both represent, consciousness, defiance and self-determination,” The APUA General Manager declared.

He noted that some of the new features of I-Mobile is electronic top-up, better coverage and comparative roaming charges.

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9 Comments In This Article   

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Stand Up for Antigua!

#9 Southern Beauty » 2011-07-23 19:31

Way to go APUA. It is clear that the demise of the Corporation has this government's blessing! Don't play dead and allow them to let the bribes and self interests win. STAND UP FOR THIS REAL ANTIGUAN BUSINESS. Martin, we are encouraged by your tenacity. Hopefully, Clarvis will be moved so you can really get down to setting APUA on sound footing.
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Southern Beauty

RE: We are Prepared To Fight- Martin

#8 Hmmm » 2011-07-22 21:22

I for 1 will be supporting PCS, now imobile..... i will not sell my heritage for 30 pieces of silver. I will support my own because and investment in APUA is possible investment in my grand daughters future..
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Hmmm

Congrats Martin

#7 Smart One » 2011-07-22 20:34

Martin congrats and hope that you and your team may put all these skeptics to shame in the end. When looking back we can say APUA you dropped the ball. Even when we do not know the fact. It seems as if PCS was deliberately was made to fail after it had soared on wings of eagles in such a short time with then Bmobile and the former DIGICEL owned by Derreck. Anyway let’s look to the future and although your competitors have deep pockets as long as you can assure us that I-Mobile will not be privatized I believe the Antiguan public will sooner or later join you in making it once again our flag ship. Because I believe the revenues of this can be used to offset our high electricity cost in the end. People remember the profits from those foreign companies do not stay here. The free laptops and cars are just gimmicks. Nowhere close to the actual profits these companies have made in the end. Proud to be an Antiguan. Go Martin.
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Smart One

ready to flight?

#6 OO7 » 2011-07-22 19:37

IXXOTXXT MAN CANNOT RISE TO THE OCCASION. THIS MAN IS A JOKE. APUA IS IS NEED OF GOOD LEADERSHIP.
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OO7

Now?

#5 Business woman » 2011-07-22 17:51

Only now ,a few years ago you had so much customers and neglected them because of this **ing upp govt ,whats up now ? you come to your senses?
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Business woman

TIME WILL EXPOSE THEM AGAIN

#4 STEVE » 2011-07-22 17:49

This is another joke at A.P.U.A. It is interested to note that when the "head honcho" was ask of the cost involved all he could say is that it was extensive. What a joke. The circus will come to an end soon and I hope that they all go to jail.
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STEVE

serios

#3 tenman » 2011-07-22 17:26

As the poster before this stated, this looks like a joke. AS a personnel forced to be a customer of APUA, the customer service remains awful. The problem is not simply the front line staff. There are procedures in place that make it impossible for the company to be effective. A simple request to either change and address or move a water meter, can take as much as 6 months. Real change at APUA has to come from the top. It will call for a proper GM and directors with real vision because they have truly lost their way.

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tenman

hahaha

#2 Well well » 2011-07-22 16:53

What a joke

Years after losing its market share now, after Digicel has come in and established itself now they want to get back market share. Why did they not try to do something about 5 years ago. I think there strategy now would to go back to ur core responsibilitie s. Perfect supply of electricity and water, finding best practices and ways to offer cheaper rates to the people. How much is this re branding costing the tax payer. Could this money not be placed into make APUA more efficient.
What a waste....sell PCS and get back to what u should be able to do best (not that you have done it very well but at least try)
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Well well

Strategic Move!

#1 Dr. Isaac Newton » 2011-07-22 15:29

"Mr. Martin. I like your sterling confidence and competitive spirit. Nice to see a homegrown talent fully loaded to take on the competition, and to do so in partnership with one of my cultural icons---Sir Vivan!

Congrats to you!

With solid strategic intelligence and the professional grit to adapt and commingle tacit skills to achieve your market share objective continue to defile naysayers. Draw on the intangible assets of homegrown talent. Keep your eyes on the moving market. Balance resource constraints with innovation and flexibility. Changes in the market may lead you to discover unforeseen value creation opportunities.

By constantly realigning your objectives to meet service needs, reconciling leadership priorities/ambi guities, and relying on your personal attributes of determination and courage, I have faith in your ability to deliver the highest quality of service befitting customers’ deepest desires.

You could inspire so many Antiguans to believe in their competencies and brilliance when others deny them. Become an icon for executing with urgency and excellence. Be prepared to WIN!"

Kind regards,



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Dr. Isaac Newton

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