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Domestic telephone provider, Telecom Fiji Ltd has signed a $7.6 million deal with an Indian company Tech Mahindra, Indian web portal for India News, Sify Business reported today.
Under this agreement, Tech Mahindra will implement a transformation programme for Telecom Fiji in the OSS/BSS domain for a period of 18 months
This 18-month engagement is for replacing TFL`s technology systems to make it more agile in order to take on competition in Fiji’s recently deregulated telecom market, Taito Tabaleka, group acting chief executive officer told Business Line.
“Tech Mahindra will replace Telecom Fiji’s IT systems, billing systems and look at the prospects of outsourcing its billing requirements to other telecom carriers,” said Tabaleka.
Until last year, the company had the exclusive licence to provide domestic voice and data services, while Vodafone Fiji — a joint venture between Vodafone and Telecom Fiji’s holding company — has been the sole provider of mobile services. Fiji’s telecommunications sector was deregulated on November 8, 2007.
It is believed that the Venezuela-based Digitel GSM is also keen to enter Fiji.
Tech Mahindra has also signed a $24m retail transformation deal with Telecom New Zealand.
Separately, ATH is in talks with Indian IT companies for partnering its call centre business, said Howard Politini, deputy chairman, ATH.
“Ninety-nine per cent of Fiji’s population speaks English, which could be a boon for any back office-oriented industry,” said Politini.
Moreover, Fiji has the same time zone advantage to countries such as Australia, New Zealand and parts of South Asia, which can be leveraged for serving clients.
Both Politini and Tabaleka are still away in India.
TFL said it would issue a statement soon.
