www.lifhaus.com.sb

The decision by the Evaluation Committee is still causing a stir in Honiara.  The Island Sun has already run a frontpage story on a possible skyrocketing pricing regime to be imposed by bemobile.  This may seem a little far fetched at the moment but prices of mobile phone calls around the region are anything but coming down in recent times.

Lifhaus spoke to a few people in town and the response was geniune surprise.  "We have always heard that Digicel will come in but this is really surprising."  Another was quick to question what would become of Digicel who "have already established offices and done extensive surveys on possible sites in the Solomon Islands."

A senior government source who spoke with Lifhaus said, "Cabinet had already endorsed Digicel as its preferred entrant prior to the Evaluation Committee's deliberations.  So this has come as a total surprise to a lot of us.  But we must also be reminded that Cabinet must also endorse the decision of the committee before a license is granted.  In this regard, it also provides an opportunity for government to retract the decision of the committee if it deems it inappropriate.  We will see over the next few days if Cabinet stands by the recommendation of the committee or whether it will overturn the decision."

Lifhaus was informed that Cabinet meets on Wednesdays so a statement either endorsing or refusing the recommendations of the committee may be forthcoming in the coming days.  "Let us also not forget that there are other agendas of importance for government and it may not deliberate on this issue now" said our source.

The coming days will be interesting times to see what the government will do in granting the second mobile phone license.  "Digicel may come in as a third entrant sometime in 2011 or soon after if the market is there and government decides to offer a license to a third operator."

"I believe the CNURA government is very confident in its decision.  What the reasons are, we will hear in the coming days but this much I know, there are a lot of vested interests and the government has shown itself willing to participate in decisions that may otherwise be very unpopular with the people.  This may be one such issue.  I just hope we do not end up in a mess."