A new Cable & Wireless all-in-one package including a computer with Internet access for just US$70 per month could be a reality for almost all its customers in the region by the end of October, except those in Jamaica, it emerged this week.
But Jamaican consumers could see a similar style package within the next six to nine months, according to a local executive.
C&W Caribbean executive vice-president for marketing Chris Carpenter said plans were well advanced on the launch of a new "PC & Internet" package.
Speaking at C&W's annual forum in Trinidad on Tuesday, Mr. Carpenter told senior journalists from the 18 businesses on 14 islands, that a mass of new products were about to be rolled out.
Mr. Carpenter said the computer package would "spread the cost of getting on-line over three years". The company was in talks with computer makers such as Compaq and IBM and had set a target price of package costing US$70 per month.
He said the company had arranged financing for the move, which would see customers get a personal computer with an Internet connect for as little as a US$70 per month fee for three years.
At US$70 per month, the total cost of the package would be more than US$2,500. With a new computer costing as little as US$500, the rest of the money would go towards paying for financing and the Internet access.
The US$70 per month charge would rise depending on how much use of the Internet you made, Mr. Carpenter added.
C&W Jamaica sales and market head for its integrated communications services Geoff Houston said while Jamaica was not yet in a position to introduce such a package talks were underway on various moves designed at increasing the number of net users.
The prime reason for the disparity between proposals in Jamaica and the rest of the region is the fact that Jamaica is viewed as a separate business unit and reports directly to C&W headquarters in London.
Mr. Carpenter also said that more affordable high speed Internet access with a starting cost of US$150 per month would begin in the rest of the region by August.
As well as capturing a good portion of those customers that want net access but can't afford the cost of a computer, Cable & Wireless wants to capitalise on the growing need for faster Internet access.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections to the net would become available from August priced at US$150 dollars, according to Mr. Carpenter.
DSL users do not have to dial up for access to the Internet and are connected around the clock. And as well as offering faster speeds, DSL allows Internet users to be connected around the clock and take phone calls while using the Net.
Customers will be able to choose the Internet speed they want. They will have three options, ranging from five to thirty times faster than currently available net access and be offered multiple e-mail addresses and web space to create their own web pages.
The forecast is for 2,000 customers to be online using DSL connections in the rest of the region outside of Jamaica by March 2001.
