Overview

Guyana’s telecommunications sector was liberalized on October 5, 2020.  This creates an opportunity for more competition within a growing market space.  The telecommunications market is anticipated to grow based on demand drivers from oil and gas, a growing migrant population, and demands from call centers and data warehouses.  Firms interested in applying for licenses should contact the Telecommunications Agency and the Office of the Prime Minister.  Guyana continues to experience growth in the ICT-enabled services industry with expansions of business process outsourcing centers located in Latin America. Common business process outsourcing services provided by companies located in Guyana include telemarketing call centers, inbound customer support, voice mail transcription, medical records transcription, and data warehousing.  The Government of Guyana (GoG), through the Guyana Office for Investment, provides concessions to both domestic and foreign investors.  Guyana’s strategic geographic position and socio-political heritage puts it at the gateway of South America and the Caribbean.   Additionally, Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America with comparable wages to Latin America.  The labor force is well educated with a high literacy rate and is known to have a good work ethic.

Subsector Best prospects

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

Guyana’s labor force is suitable for both back office and front office functions. Call centers and telemarketing are the majority share of BPO Guyana provides.  An exploratory search with the Guyana Office for Investment and for labor availability the University of Guyana and other relevant educational institutions.

Telecommunication Services

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company invested in excess of $50 million on a fiber optic submarine cable in 2019.  This cable is intended to provide services to corporate clientele.

Online Education

A potentially viable market entry strategy is a partnership with the local University of Guyana.  Guyanese benefited from increased internet access in the past five years and this trend is likely to continue.  As the pandemic hit, many gravitated towards online learning.  There is potential for the government to roll out smart classrooms in the future which could increase access to many in hinterland areas.

SMART Grids

Guyana’s policy drive towards renewable energy development can be complemented with smart grid technologies.  These technologies could improve the reliability, availability, efficiency, and management of power to the benefit of consumers and the public utility, Guyana Power and Light. 

Opportunities

Guyana’s telecommunications infrastructure is likely to continue improvements driven by oil and gas development.  Guyana is an attractive destination for ICT investment based on the country’s time zone, availability of cheap labor and incentives provided by government.   The government seeks to create jobs and public private partnerships to develop infrastructure and ensure access to ICT services.  The government can facilitate arrangements with relevant utility companies to ensure stable supply.  The Office of the Prime Minister is charged with the management of this sector.

Leading Market Indicator

 USD Millions

Resources

• Office of the Prime Minister
• Telecommunications Agency: