Business View Caribbean | July 2019

64 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN JULY 2019 pictured above CEO of Sint Maarten Telecommunication Holding Company N.V., Kendall Dupersoy organization’s Disaster Coordination Team and explains, “We plan for disasters and see how we can assist each other when one island is hit by a disaster and others are not. In general, there is some collaboration between the islands, but it could be improved. We try to contribute to disaster recovery and extend our hands to each other in ways that could be beneficial to multiple islands.” Competition in the telecommunication sector is unique because it involves not just local providers, but also international entities. With the market changing from voice-based to network-based infrastructure, everything is driven by data, so TelEm has to compete with the likes of WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, and all the other online services. According to Dupersoy, “If we keep our rates too high, nobody would use us because there is always the availability of those other industry disruptors that are forcing everybody to adjust the way they provide services. The internet has really changed the market, where now you’re not only competing with domestic people, but also international companies that are offering services via your internet that replace basic traditional services that telecom providers have provided in the past.” Most TelEm customers are individual residents, along with some business clients, including the island’s hotels and hospitality industry. But they, too, have changed their business models; most guests use pictured Annually, Telem is one of the main sponsors of the Sint Maarten Carnival