’ll admit, I was a bit sceptical of the concept of a mobile television and

maybe because over the years Cable and Wireless, now known as Lime, has found itself in a kind of no man’s land in relation to Jamaica’s cellular prefer-ences. It’s no secret that Irish company (though you can hardly tell nowadays) Digicel has won the hearts and pockets of many a Jamaican cellular phone user, with their aggressive marketing cam-paigns and seemingly telepathic knowl-edge of how to appeal to an exception-ally wide cross-section of customers. Nobody can deny that Lime has worked hard on its craft, and it seems that at the end of 2010 they might have found their “killer app”. Could it be “time for Lime”?

Lime’s execution of their launch and marketing campaign was exceptional, as they delivered a master class in com-bining technology, pop culture and a whole lot of style to excellent effect. The pacing of their releases about the product, the launch and the eventual quality of the service has placed Lime in a position that it has not seen itself at for quite a while. Lime’s mobile tele-vision service utilizes its 3G network, while using a technology called Digital Video Broadcasting to deliver a much clearer, consistent and stronger signal than that of an analog signal. Because of 3G’s capability of handling data and voice at the same time, users are able to simultaneously watch Lime’s mobile television and use the phone.

Now, being first is one thing but hav-ing the vision to extend your lead is an-

other in itself. Lime has shown remark-able foresight in offering pay per view―a service that has been missing from Ja-maican airwaves for far too long. The recently held Sting concert was aired live on Lime’s service which was a bit of a risk, in my opinion, given Sting’s pro-pensity for unplanned occurrences. The test run went well and it seems Jamaica is ready for more.

Lime’s eye catching, full page advertise-ment and its plan to air embattled reg-gae superstar Buju Banton’s one night show live from Miami, has shown the depths to which Lime’s new initiative has resonated. With plans to air Rebel Salute already announced, the future looks bright for Lime and Jamaica’s tele-communications landscape as the op-tions for consumers become brighter and more varied.

The possible utilisation of Lime’s service are numerous, and concert promoters, play producers and event coordinators, are seeing ways to maximize their reach and possibly their profits by opening

up their audience to the entire island. It is heartening to see a company ex-hibit such vision and marketing tenac-ity, and we hope that this opens up a whole new level of competition, which can only mean more goodies for us, the consumers.

for lime?is it time

yourmoney ezine

Lime’s execution of their launch and marketing campaign was exceptional, as they delivered a master class in combining tech-nology, pop culture and a whole lot of style to excellent effect.

I

business loungebyAndreBurnett

EP, we can.” The slogan for the Young Entrepreneurship Pro-

gramme (YEP) usually elicits a wry smile from the reader or listener but this initia-tive, which was launched in early 2009, has serious promise for the future of our economy here in Jamaica. With an econ-omy that has not seen growth for some time, and a youth unemployment figure that had grown in the face of the finan-cial crisis at the end of the first decade of the new millennium, a programme that capitalizes on the innate entrepreneurial spirit of the Jamaican people is one that is long overdue. The YEP is of particular importance in this stead, since it encour-ages young people to make good on their entrepreneurial drive, as they finish their secondary or tertiary education.

The YEP, which was recently transferred from the Office of the Prime Minister to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Cul-ture, was designed to provide school leavers with training and capital to start their own businesses. The Jamaican Gov-ernment provided $250 million to fund the project, plus allocation to private sector development in the 2009/2010 budget. Kimala Bennett, entrepreneur, film director and author of the breakout publication, “Starting a Business in Ja-maica”, had high praises for the Govern-ment’s initiative. “I would have loved to have had something like this when I was

leaving school,” said Ms. Bennett. “This is the kind of programme we need to spur this kind of thinking in Jamaica.”

As the New Year starts, it is sobering to think that of the 39,000 students that graduate from high schools last year, ap-proximately 25,000 of those will spend quite a bit of time in unemployment. This initiative is timely, since entrepre-neurship is usually the spark that sets the engine of innovation in motion and keeps the wheels of the private sector oiled so that the economy can chug along. One of the few complaints about the pro-gramme is that publicity and promotion could be improved.

Ultimately, in less than six months, we will have a new crop of students exit-ing the doors of our high schools and

the onus is upon us to inform them of the opportunities of an important pro-gramme such as the YEP.

insights

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The SpiriT of young enTrepreneurShipYEP

“Y

The Jamaican Government provid-ed $250 million to fund the proj-ect out of $2 billion plus allocation to private sector development in 2009/2010 budget.

special

yourmoney ezine

JAmAiCA AnD Cell phoneS: A LOVE STORY BY ThE NUMBERS

J

of Jamaicans over the age of 15 own a cell phone.

Only of households relyentirely on Landlines.

of all phone service was through cell phones. Imagine seven years

later.

2, 699, 617 Jamaica’s population,

Digicel decided to bid

for a license in a country that most of its executives had never been to

before.

The number of subscribers that Digicel reached to overtake Cable and Wireless in 2002.

subscribers was achieved in two months.

Lime’s subscriber base…not quite a photo finish.

Claro’s third isn’t that bad.

The number of subscribers Digicel claims to have.Mobile Phone Subscribers

(% of total population) (Source: World Bank)

Digicel’s first year target of

According to the Office of Utilities Regulation,

in 2004 , 86% 7% 75.9%

$US45Million

100,000

600,000

660,000

220,000

2,000,000 101.34%

Jamaicans are known for the ease with which we adapt to new technology, being technologically savvy, and at the same time hav-ing a fierce loyalty to the institutions that we feel have our best interests at heart. The numbers don’t lie; Jamaicans have a thing

for mobile technology. Take a look at our infographic for a better picture.

Read Your Money today...

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