DIGICEL ANNOUNCED AS PARTNER WITH THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FOR THE CARIBBEAN IDEA MARKETPLACE

Thursday June 23^rd 2011 – Kingston, Jamaica. Digicel, the best value mobile operator in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific, has today been announced as one of the main partners with the U.S Department of State to support the Caribbean IdEA Marketplace.

Aimed to foster collaboration between local and global Caribbean diaspora entrepreneurs, this business competition platform will encourage participants to develop and expand innovative projects that will generate employment and economic growth.

Initial focus countries include the Bahamas, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago with the following objectives:

·        To bring about engagement between local Caribbean and diaspora entrepreneurs to promote high impact development programmes;

·        To create new, cross-sector partnerships for economic and social development;

·        To exchange knowledge and create learning networks with diaspora communities.

CIM will be implemented in the context of the International diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA), which was launched by the U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, on May 17th in Washington DC at the Global Diaspora Forum.  Other partners include the Inter-American Development Bank and Scotiabank.

During the Global Diaspora Forum, U.S Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said; “As a collaborator, we will work closely with diaspora leaders and other partners to implement projects and maximise our impact.”

Colm Delves, Group CEO of Digicel, explains; “The six million strong global diaspora community consists of highly skilled and educated entrepreneurs and is acknowledged as an important engine of growth and development in the United States and beyond.

“As the number one mobile operator in the region, Digicel has been instrumental in driving innovation, growing economies and creating employment and opportunities for the people of the Caribbean. As such, we applaud the U.S Department of State’s commitment to spurring employment and economic growth in the Caribbean and are delighted to be a part of this fantastic programme.”

ENDS

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP

After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com  for more information.