TSTT to purchase 100% shareholding of Massy Communications Ltd.

[Monk BANzai]

Hehehe...What happens when Lisa Agard is on the Massy side and was former TSTT. Nothing about it really surprising and Massy have the same unrealistic targets like TSTT so.....


ohh y'all thought TSTT was actually performing ae?...

We really have to give credit to Digicel for doing such a huge nationwide roll-out of Fiber. Both Massy and TSTT claim to have this Fiber but unless you living in very specific areas you are never going to see that.

Atleast a man could apply right to digicel now and get he 25MB Fiber for $200 a month, they even have buses going around and people meeting you home to sign you up. Instead of the Pipe Dream that TSTT and Massy selling. Fiber? yeah sorry we won't reach your area until 2050 so hold on till you retire.

Do you remember when Digicel first came out with FTTH? what did TSTT do? they place a big full page Ad in the papers T&T's first fiber network. And when you call they only available in Port of Spain. Yeah they cover a few more areas since then but its still a joke and a pipe dream

I find the selling price price rather cheap considering Massy's claim to have 34,000 customers... Something about that not right... and TATT may not approve it eventually.. If I was Digicel I would protest like hell from now....

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

^@ DUANE let me make it simple for you to understand.

TSTT Copper = $380 for 4MB

Flow Copper = $220 for 30MB ($195 for 70MB if you sign up through GATT for the Gamer package)

Both companies have horrible and poor Fiber (FTTH) coverage. So please take their fiber out of the discussion.

[j.o.e]

Hehehe...What happens when Lisa Agard is on the Massy side and was former TSTT. Nothing about it really surprising and Massy have the same unrealistic targets like TSTT so.....


ohh y'all thought TSTT was actually performing ae?...

We really have to give credit to Digicel for doing such a huge nationwide roll-out of Fiber. Both Massy and TSTT claim to have this Fiber but unless you living in very specific areas you are never going to see that.

Atleast a man could apply right to digicel now and get he 25MB Fiber for $200 a month, they even have buses going around and people meeting you home to sign you up. Instead of the Pipe Dream that TSTT and Massy selling. Fiber? yeah sorry we won't reach your area until 2050 so hold on till you retire.

Do you remember when Digicel first came out with FTTH? what did TSTT do? they place a big full page Ad in the papers T&T's first fiber network. And when you call they only available in Port of Spain. Yeah they cover a few more areas since then but its still a joke and a pipe dream

I find the selling price price rather cheap considering Massy's claim to have 34,000 customers... Something about that not right... and TATT may not approve it eventually.. If I was Digicel I would protest like hell from now....

That 34000 is the network reach (people who can be served currently) not necessarily customers.

[Kronik]

Hehehe...What happens when Lisa Agard is on the Massy side and was former TSTT. Nothing about it really surprising and Massy have the same unrealistic targets like TSTT so.....


ohh y'all thought TSTT was actually performing ae?...

We really have to give credit to Digicel for doing such a huge nationwide roll-out of Fiber. Both Massy and TSTT claim to have this Fiber but unless you living in very specific areas you are never going to see that.

Atleast a man could apply right to digicel now and get he 25MB Fiber for $200 a month, they even have buses going around and people meeting you home to sign you up. Instead of the Pipe Dream that TSTT and Massy selling. Fiber? yeah sorry we won't reach your area until 2050 so hold on till you retire.

Do you remember when Digicel first came out with FTTH? what did TSTT do? they place a big full page Ad in the papers T&T's first fiber network. And when you call they only available in Port of Spain. Yeah they cover a few more areas since then but its still a joke and a pipe dream

Before you sing digicel praise about their big fiber network, just remember that they are leasing a lot of fiber lines from T&TEC, so Digicel's actual fiber lines are not as big as you think. In certain areas T&TEC has 3 fiber lines running along the poles.

[src1983]

^@ DUANE let me make it simple for you to understand.

TSTT Copper = $380 for 4MB

Flow Copper = $220 for 30MB ($195 for 70MB if you sign up through GATT for the Gamer package)

Both companies have horrible and poor Fiber (FTTH) coverage. So please take their fiber out of the discussion.

This is true for Williamsville with TSTT, flow not available but RVR (rio Claro) is. Ended up with a point to point 50/50 with static IP for 850 per month

My only beef is the fact I need to pay extra for the static ip on a business connection, but service great otherwise

[88sins]

DSL/phone service aside, I'm wondering is I Massy suppliers should be concerned about this acquisition by TSTT. Massy was already done kinda sketchy with their payments to a some suppliers, yuh hadda keep calling & demanding payment for goods/services, sometimes getting payment 6 months after the 30 day due date has passed. TSTT known to be worse than that, sometimes years pass before invoices are settled, if ever

I go watch this one with caution from the sidelines for now.

[pete]

$7,500 per customer is a steal of a deal?

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

^@ DUANE let me make it simple for you to understand.

TSTT Copper = $380 for 4MB

Flow Copper = $220 for 30MB ($195 for 70MB if you sign up through GATT for the Gamer package)

Both companies have horrible and poor Fiber (FTTH) coverage. So please take their fiber out of the discussion.

TSTT copper means the OLD phone lines from decades upon decades ago with their original telephone service. There are very few highly populated areas that still have this.
Coax is completely different.
You cannot compare the two.

[bluefete]

Who will buy CWC 49% share in TSTT?

Probably Massy

ah boy some forward thinkers

That's how they do it in T&T. That $200+ million was kinda steep so there must be a payback coming somewhere.

So how's about Massy then buys out CW's 49 % share or the gov'ts 51% share in TSTT?

[Monk BANzai]

Hehehe...What happens when Lisa Agard is on the Massy side and was former TSTT. Nothing about it really surprising and Massy have the same unrealistic targets like TSTT so.....


ohh y'all thought TSTT was actually performing ae?...

We really have to give credit to Digicel for doing such a huge nationwide roll-out of Fiber. Both Massy and TSTT claim to have this Fiber but unless you living in very specific areas you are never going to see that.

Atleast a man could apply right to digicel now and get he 25MB Fiber for $200 a month, they even have buses going around and people meeting you home to sign you up. Instead of the Pipe Dream that TSTT and Massy selling. Fiber? yeah sorry we won't reach your area until 2050 so hold on till you retire.

Do you remember when Digicel first came out with FTTH? what did TSTT do? they place a big full page Ad in the papers T&T's first fiber network. And when you call they only available in Port of Spain. Yeah they cover a few more areas since then but its still a joke and a pipe dream

I find the selling price price rather cheap considering Massy's claim to have 34,000 customers... Something about that not right... and TATT may not approve it eventually.. If I was Digicel I would protest like hell from now....

That 34000 is the network reach (people who can be served currently) not necessarily customers.

lol you sound "learned"....i'll take your word for it.

[j.o.e]

Yea trust me ..... I'm talking from very close to the situation.

[The_Honourable]

Feeling sorry for the customers who ran away from Blink to Massy.

That 34,000 from Massy will go down quick. Digicel and Flow will get some new customers.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

Feeling sorry for the customers who ran away from Blink to Massy.

That 34,000 from Massy will go down quick. Digicel and Flow will get some new customers.

Yep from what I read on the massy ched here the whole reason people went with Massy is because their customer service is top notch.

As a matter of fact Massy is the only ISP that has the live online chat CSR on their website so you don't have to waste time holding your phone waiting on a rep. Its just like Amazon you type the message and if you are not cause the wait time too long and you had to leave there they still receive the message and sort you out.

TSTT on the other hand when I first signed up with Flow I called TSTT and told them to disconnect my service the woman say ok it will be done. Then I read on tuner that they does lie and how a man get a bill for 6 months of non paid internet because they lied so I call back just for the heck of it guess what? the lied to me I told the woman I say alluh lie stink I say cut my service and you never did. The new woman say yes she will do it for sure.

I call back following week it was NEVER done the guy said there is no record of me asking to cut the service. I had to go in personally to a TSTT branch and cuss and make noise for them to do it. So yes I feel sorry for any Massy customers who will have to deal with anything remotely related to TSTT customer service.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

Feeling sorry for the customers who ran away from Blink to Massy.

That 34,000 from Massy will go down quick. Digicel and Flow will get some new customers.

Yep from what I read on the massy ched here the whole reason people went with Massy is because their customer service is top notch.

As a matter of fact Massy is the only ISP that has the live online chat CSR on their website so you don't have to waste time holding your phone waiting on a rep. Its just like Amazon you type the message and if you are not cause the wait time too long and you had to leave there they still receive the message and sort you out..

None of that should change. It's still Massy staff and the same service, the shares are just now owned by TSTT.
It's not like you were on Massy and suddenly got switched over to TSTT internet.

[The_Honourable]

Feeling sorry for the customers who ran away from Blink to Massy.

That 34,000 from Massy will go down quick. Digicel and Flow will get some new customers.

Yep from what I read on the massy ched here the whole reason people went with Massy is because their customer service is top notch.

As a matter of fact Massy is the only ISP that has the live online chat CSR on their website so you don't have to waste time holding your phone waiting on a rep. Its just like Amazon you type the message and if you are not cause the wait time too long and you had to leave there they still receive the message and sort you out..

None of that should change. It's still Massy staff and the same service, the shares are just now owned by TSTT.
It's not like you were on Massy and suddenly got switched over to TSTT internet.

Maybe initially but changes will come down the road. Soon Massy culture will be TSTT-like.

[88sins]

[

Feeling sorry for the customers who ran away from Blink to Massy.

That 34,000 from Massy will go down quick. Digicel and Flow will get some new customers.

Yep from what I read on the massy ched here the whole reason people went with Massy is because their customer service is top notch.

As a matter of fact Massy is the only ISP that has the live online chat CSR on their website so you don't have to waste time holding your phone waiting on a rep. Its just like Amazon you type the message and if you are not cause the wait time too long and you had to leave there they still receive the message and sort you out..

None of that should change. It's still Massy staff and the same service, the shares are just now owned by TSTT.
It's not like you were on Massy and suddenly got switched over to TSTT internet.

Maybe initially but changes will come down the road. Soon Massy culture will be TSTT-like.

yup, all retained MASSY employees will become TSTT employees, & yuh dun kno what to expect from TSTT employees already.

[pugboy]

Lol
Most of the tstt employees left long time

[kironde]

Soon we will be back to just flow and tstt.

[ilove3]

So I read many of allyuh comments and I think that some of you are sadly misinformed. Quite surprisingly so since some ah allyuh supposed to be some of the brightest minds in the country. In any case, both Digicel and Flow is offering what seems to be fantastic rates but the reality is that you never get what you think that you are paying for. When you think that you are paying for 25MBs down and you go to speedtest.net, you would see that speedometer quickly blaze up the the 25MBs marker but the reality is that the speed is that you are seeing is the maximum speed that you can achieve and NOT THE TRUE DOWNLOAD SPEED. To determine what your true speed is, go to http://www.bandwidthplace.com and do a speed test there. You would be very surprised at what you are actually getting (value for your money? I think not!). TSTT is the only company that actually gives you what you are paying for and like Massy's internet, theirs is dedicated fibre to the home, unlike shared load that is offered by both Flow and Digi. Catch them at their less than stellar service and you would be told "Sir, remember that you are paying for UP TO XXXXXX SPEED...", in other words, whatever you are getting is part of the agreement as you are paying for a maximum speed of XXXXXX and not the actual download speed...

I would relate a very recent experience: One of my customers of my android boxes asked for my help as he had switched from Flow to Digicel and an IPTV service that I offer, Boyz Toyz, was not working well on his box (if yuh wanna test that IPTV, inbox me for a free 2 week trial). From home I was able to determine that it was his net. He was not convinced so I went to his home to conduct some test including using his wifi on my phone, testing the speed on his box and then comparing the speed to pull up a movie using his box (plugged directly into Digicel's modem) to pulling up a movie on my phone (using bmobile's data). After a few seconds, the movie started on my phone while we were waiting for the movie to start on his device after about four minutes. I concluded the tests by going to the testing website which showed that he was getting an actual speed of 1.12MBs.

That being said, that TSTT and Massy deal might be a bit confusing as $255 million is peanuts to pay for Massy Communications - a simple calculation assuming that the average Massy customer pays $350 per month could see revenues of $143 million being earned and that does not include infrastructure, equipment and other assets. So that amount is a paltry amount compared to what the market value may have been. In any case, it was long rumored that with the 49% of TSTT up for sale, Massy was going to be the buyer. This rumor was given some credibility as earlier this year, TSTT and Massy entered an agreement to share infrastructure but to date, neither company started offering fibre in areas where the other company was offering the service.

Yesterday's announcement though, put a spin on things as, from the most recent information, C&W had not sold its shares in TSTT, yet TSTT had purchased 100% ownership of Massy Communications. The only thing now that would make sense is this: Once the acquisition is completed, TSTT would then announce that Massy has purchased the 49% shares previously held by C&W thereby completing the intent of the purchase of Massy Communications by TSTT: both companies win! TSTT also announce its strategic goal of an agile company and what this means is simply that the company would be able to quicker respond to opportunities and threats. So with Massy having an interest in TSTT, IMO, it would best if Massy is used as R&D for emerging technologies that would benefit its investment and TSTT.

Just my 5c worth...

[Monk BANzai]

So I read many of allyuh comments and I think that some of you are sadly misinformed. Quite surprisingly so since some ah allyuh supposed to be some of the brightest minds in the country. In any case, both Digicel and Flow is offering what seems to be fantastic rates but the reality is that you never get what you think that you are paying for. When you think that you are paying for 25MBs down and you go to speedtest.net, you would see that speedometer quickly blaze up the the 25MBs marker but the reality is that the speed is that you are seeing is the maximum speed that you can achieve and NOT THE TRUE DOWNLOAD SPEED. To determine what your true speed is, go to http://www.bandwidthplace.com and do a speed test there. You would be very surprised at what you are actually getting (value for your money? I think not!). TSTT is the only company that actually gives you what you are paying for and like Massy's internet, theirs is dedicated fibre to the home, unlike shared load that is offered by both Flow and Digi. Catch them at their less than stellar service and you would be told "Sir, remember that you are paying for UP TO XXXXXX SPEED...", in other words, whatever you are getting is part of the agreement as you are paying for a maximum speed of XXXXXX and not the actual download speed...

I would relate a very recent experience: One of my customers of my android boxes asked for my help as he had switched from Flow to Digicel and an IPTV service that I offer, Boyz Toyz, was not working well on his box (if yuh wanna test that IPTV, inbox me for a free 2 week trial). From home I was able to determine that it was his net. He was not convinced so I went to his home to conduct some test including using his wifi on my phone, testing the speed on his box and then comparing the speed to pull up a movie using his box (plugged directly into Digicel's modem) to pulling up a movie on my phone (using bmobile's data). After a few seconds, the movie started on my phone while we were waiting for the movie to start on his device after about four minutes. I concluded the tests by going to the testing website which showed that he was getting an actual speed of 1.12MBs.

That being said, that TSTT and Massy deal might be a bit confusing as $255 million is peanuts to pay for Massy Communications - a simple calculation assuming that the average Massy customer pays $350 per month could see revenues of $143 million being earned and that does not include infrastructure, equipment and other assets. So that amount is a paltry amount compared to what the market value may have been. In any case, it was long rumored that with the 49% of TSTT up for sale, Massy was going to be the buyer. This rumor was given some credibility as earlier this year, TSTT and Massy entered an agreement to share infrastructure but to date, neither company started offering fibre in areas where the other company was offering the service.

Yesterday's announcement though, put a spin on things as, from the most recent information, C&W had not sold its shares in TSTT, yet TSTT had purchased 100% ownership of Massy Communications. The only thing now that would make sense is this: Once the acquisition is completed, TSTT would then announce that Massy has purchased the 49% shares previously held by C&W thereby completing the intent of the purchase of Massy Communications by TSTT: both companies win! TSTT also announce its strategic goal of an agile company and what this means is simply that the company would be able to quicker respond to opportunities and threats. So with Massy having an interest in TSTT, IMO, it would best if Massy is used as R&D for emerging technologies that would benefit its investment and TSTT.

Just my 5c worth...

Lol yeah.. Then there's this..

http://www.cnc3.co.tt/news/tstt-conside ... trenchment

[eliteauto]

ilove3 your last 2 paragraphs sum it up nicely, the extension C&W has to dispose of the shares is also ending soon and they MUST dispose of the shareholding which the current chairman has stated is overpriced by C&W, I expect a local consortium will purchase. Massy has also given the undertaking that going forward all communication services used by the entire group will be Bmobile in origin

[The_Honourable]

The union on the ball with this "plot" between Massy and TSTT

[bluefete]

So with Massy having an interest in TSTT, IMO, it would best if Massy is used as R&D for emerging technologies that would benefit its investment and TSTT. Just my 5c worth...

Great statement BUT never going to happen.

The last time TSTT had an R&D department it was headed by a guy called Dr. Stephan Gift - one of the most brilliant minds to ever live in T&T. That was in the 1970's when TSTT was among the first companies in the world to use fibre optics technology.

After that, they got rid of R&D and Dr. Gift left to go UWI.

They have never recovered since.

TSTT today has no clue about R&D.

[ilove3]

So with Massy having an interest in TSTT, IMO, it would best if Massy is used as R&D for emerging technologies that would benefit its investment and TSTT. Just my 5c worth...

Great statement BUT never going to happen.

The last time TSTT had an R&D department it was headed by a guy called Dr. Stephan Gift - one of the most brilliant minds to ever live in T&T. That was in the 1970's when TSTT was among the first companies in the world to use fibre optics technology.

After that, they got rid of R&D and Dr. Gift left to go UWI.

They have never recovered since.

TSTT today has no clue about R&D.

Well said and I'm sure you would have picked up on the hopefulness in that statement. But the R&D should be within Massy

[bluefete]

Well said and I'm sure you would have picked up on the hopefulness in that statement. But the R&D should be within Massy

Still not going to happen.

If it was the other way (Massy take over TSTT), I would have some hope.

TSTT's management just does not know or understand the importance of R&D.

I listened to Emile Elias talking to the Public Accounts Committee yesterday. He moaned about the lack of bandwidth allocated to TSTT by TATT. Then said that they recently got approval for some more.

He said the union is the biggest obstacle to progress (agree to some extent). The cost per employee to TSTT is over $400,000 per employee per year.

[ilove3]

Well said and I'm sure you would have picked up on the hopefulness in that statement. But the R&D should be within Massy

Still not going to happen.

If it was the other way (Massy take over TSTT), I would have some hope.

TSTT's management just does not know or understand the importance of R&D.

I listened to Emile Elias talking to the Public Accounts Committee yesterday. He moaned about the lack of bandwidth allocated to TSTT by TATT. Then said that they recently got approval for some more.

He said the union is the biggest obstacle to progress (agree to some extent). The cost per employee to TSTT is over $400,000 per employee per year.

Correct yourself. He said $420,000 per employee. That's $35000 a month! The junior staff which he seems to be Intent on removing has a salary of almost 2/5ths that amount so clearly, the disproportionate salaried positions are management and up...

[agent007]

Delete

[ADONI]

9. Illuminat bought 360 Communications, which is now Massy Communications. Yea, ah know the naming real mess up.
10. He is chairman and his wife is CEO of iMax...

[dude2014]

MASSY SELLS, TSTT BUYS and the PNM gets to bail out one of their shareholders ( not the P ah Nemtil ah ded crew). They were into two years of a ten year business plan and suddenly sells? The investment was due to bear fruits in ten years and over. Is this a bailout?

The Minister of Public Utilities has no knowledge of the SPA and Rowley absent in Parliement as he went to play golf.

Mergers is another way companies lay off/fire workers and then is hell to ketch to get pensions, severance, etc. My problem is not the rate tele companies are charging for their service but rather the employees who are about to ketch a@se ...................

[Caribnomad]

OMG.... TSTT actually put in to print that they got $1.9bn to build out FTTH?

Where did that money go? How many homes are now directly connected to TSTT on 100% fibre?

If $225m bought them 34,000 homes passed on the Massy network then by my calculation TSTT should now be passing 287,000 T&T homes!!

Hands up all those people who have TSTT fibre (not DSL) ??

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170502/business/tstt-purchases-massy-communications-for-255-million/1

TSTT purchases Massy Communications for $255 million
...deal signed today

Published on May 2, 2017, 4:10 pm AST
By Carolyn Kissoon Multimedia Desk

The Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) announced on Tuesday its acquisition of Massy Communications.

TSTT, this country's largest telcommunications provider, signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire Massy Communications for $255 million.

This brings 34,000 homes and a Fibre to the Home system to TSTT.

The announcement was made by TSTT's chairman Emile Elias at a news conference.

TSTT issued a release stating that the company had entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) in which TSTT will purchase 100% shareholding of Massy Communications Ltd.

This agreement capitalizes on the synergies of both companies in a manner that is mutually beneficial, along with their stakeholders, the local telecommunications industry and the people of Trinidad & Tobago, the release stated.

It stated, “TSTT is the largest telecommunications provider in Trinidad and Tobago. A significant element of TSTT's current strategic plan involves the deployment of both wired and wireless high-speed broadband internet capabilities, throughout the entire nation. This includes investment in fibre optic solutions together with the associated technological infrastructure and systems.

Since 2006, Massy Communications, formerly Three Sixty Communications, has been building out its telecommunications network and expanding its services, to currently offer a range of services which include:

- Fibre Optic (FTTH) Infrastructure deployment which is utilised to deliver High Speed Internet and IPTV to residential and SME customers.

- Dedicated Internet/IP transit

- Clear Channel Domestic/ Metro Ethernet and International Private Lines

- International Wholesale Termination and Enterprise Voice Solutions

In 2016, TSTT secured $1.9B in financing to create a Fibre to the Home (FTTH) solution throughout all of Trinidad and Tobago, including areas where Massy had already built out a robust network. This purchase will allow TSTT to have immediate access to an additional 34,000 homes passed with fibre.

These homes are located in Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Trincity, Arima and San Fernando. This agreement therefore means that TSTT now has the benefit of incorporating these customers into its existing infrastructure.

The agreement includes all of Massy Communications infrastructure relating to both its Enterprise and Consumer networks, all existing Enterprise and Retail customers and the entire operational and business support systems.

TSTT stated that the purchase will result in the acceleration of TSTT's deployment of its next generation network. It will also facilitate the opportunity to immediately deliver a new suite of products and services to our existing customers in these areas. Furthermore, it will provide the Massy customers with the assurance that their future communications needs are well placed.