www.lifhaus.com.sb

The little we know of bemobile from yesterday's press release is the fact that it operates out of PNG and has shareholders GEMS which is a US multi-billion dollar fund and Triology International Partners.  Radio New Zealand International was quick to report on its website that this is a US consortium of some kind.  But a little digging can help and Lifhaus went online to search for information about bemobile.

Our quick investigations reveal this much.  Telikom PNG Limited was once a monopoly in Papua New Guinea until Digicel came along.  Under the flagship, bmobile, Telikom PNG Ltd engaged in a bitter rivalry against Digicel, a battle which personal experience by Lifhaus in PNG can vouch for was won by Digicel.  Then in early 2009, Telikom PNG Ltd entered into a partnership with GEMS and Triology International Partners to rebrand bmobile as bemobile.  bemobile has now launched an all out war on Digicel promising its clientele better services on its launch on 11th October 2009.

Further findings confirm that the shareholding arrangement is similar to the Our Telekom shareholding arrangement.  Superannuation funds NASFUND, Nambawan Super and the PNG Development Program Ltd hold 15% in the bemobile venture.  Telikom PNG Ltd holds a 50% stake in the company while GEMS and Triology International Partners hold the remaining 35%.  In this arrangement bemobile is pitching the same line as Our Telekom have "The choice will depend mostly on the consumer and how wise people spend their money when purchasing a mobile, as such users of bemobile will indirectly be contributing to their own retirement benefits to both the Nambawan Super and NASFUND,” said Mr. Chris Raps, Chief Commercial Officer.

This arrangement would no doubt rely on the expertise of Triology International Partners in the mobile phone industry, a consortium which already runs a very successful mobile phone company in New Zealand, 2 degrees.  It also has mobile phone operations in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

bemobile is managed by a highly qualified and well travelled CEO, Roger Blott who among other things is a former employee of Cable & Wireless the company which currently still controls stakes in Our Telekom.

This is where Lifhaus will leave its investigation as any further analysis may be privy to assumptions that may otherwise be unfounded.

All in all, if the government was looking for a viable mobile phone competitor then it has made a very risky decision in bringing a mobile phone company which is largely untested in the Pacific Region and still lagging in its competition against Digicel.  Reports out of PNG also point to "teething" problems that have also hampered service delivery between the two mobile phone carriers.  If this were just the politics of competition, Lifhaus will not speculate but the record suggests that bemobile like Our Telekom will promise many good things but has no track record to satisfy the customer immediately.  In some regard, it may be a better competitor to Our Telekom than the highly regarded Digicel outfit.

Our Telekom has already flooded Honiara with every possible shades of red, prepare to bear the onslaught of the orange machine as bemobile comes into town.

We wait to see how this new phase of our history will pan out.