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Chiefs on the island of Pentecost in Vanuatu have expressed dismay over the lack of respect shown by fledging mobile phone carrier, Digicel, who has built a tower on sacred grounds.  The chiefs from North, South and Central Pentecost have unanimously agreed and ordered Digicel to "rip out [their] tower and go build it somewhere else" according to Radio Australia International.

Digicel is no stranger to controversy and some commentators have expressed that the company is renowned for "taking the easy or the shortest route possible."  In Papua New Guinea, the turf war between beMobile and Digicel escalated to breaking point when reports indicated that Digicel was burning beMobile handsets in an attempt to wrestle customer's away.  In an earlier interview with Lifhaus, a Ni-Vanuatuan claimed that Digicel's aggressive marketing campaigns also corroborated stories from Papua New Guinea.

However, the latest controversy in Vanuatu does point to a lack of consultation between the company and Vanuatu's powerful chiefly system.  Speaking with Lifhaus, a commentator from Port Vila said, "Vanuatu chiefs still command a lot of respect and power in the community so Digicel is threading very dangerous waters in this case.  But the good thing is the chiefs have also suggested a compromise which is to allow Digicel to build its tower on another site."

Digicel, in 2009, suddenly withdrew from the bid to enter the Solomon Islands mobile phone market much to the dismay of a lot of Honiara residents who felt it was the better provider.  There have been numerous suggestions to explain the reasons for their sudden departure but some Lifhaus sources have highlighted that it may make a strong bid when the tender for a third mobile phone operator is put out by the government.  "In this case, we may probably see Digicel re-enter the market as the sole bidder and then make very deliberate steps to obliterate the other two providers."