INTERVIEW: TELESUR
KEEPING US
IN TOUCH Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Mike Antonius, Chief Executive Officer at Telesur, about telecommunications in Suriname, 5G, and improving internet access in rural communities. The Telecommunications Company Suriname (Telesur), headquartered in Paramaribo, is the Surinamese state-owned telecommunications services provider. First established in 1945 as Lands Telegraaf Telefoondienst, after the merger of the national radio and telephone services, Telesur received its present name in 1981. “We are a full licensed operator now, though of course in the early years we only offered fixed services such as a telephone system,” explains Mike Antonius, Chief Executive Officer at Telesur. “We first introduced internet in 1995 in Suriname, which we developed in subtle stages from the dial-up to DSL-type services, and we are currently rolling out fiber. We have developed into an internet and mobile service provider. We also have a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) which we own in the Netherlands. We like to keep people
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in touch with their families abroad, and there are strong ties between Suriname and the Netherlands, especially strong family ties. This connects to the slogan of our company – ‘Keeping Us In Touch’ – which was first introduced during the liberalization of the telecoms market in Suriname.” CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY Telesur remains Suriname’s only provider of fixed-line and broadband services. The company is currently engaged in a large-scale project to update Suriname’s aging telecommunications infrastructure. “For a long time, we made use of copper lines, which in the 80s and 90s was the main technology,” explains Mr. Antonius. “We made great of use of that, but the possibilities were, naturally, limited. We are currently running a program called the Telesur National Broadband Project, which is related to our vision of enabling connectivity in such a way that we can secure the digital future of Suriname. As part of that vision, we are rolling out fiber in the whole coastal area of Suriname from east to west, and also in some areas of the south. This project will give us the ability to deliver improved services to our customers, as well as create new revenue streams. Not only will we be able to offer people data services but we can also offer television thanks to those fiber connections. By changing the tech-
