Interview - Flow Dominica

Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager, FLOW Dominica

LEADING

THE CHARGE

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager at FLOW Dominica about rebuilding after Hurricane Maria, investing in the community, and launching new services.

By Izzy Moss

Formerly known as Cable & Wireless,

FLOW – began its operations in Dominica in the late 19th century, when submarine cables were installed connecting Caribbean islands to the telegraph network. In 1968 Cable & Wireless began operating the first national automatic exchange in Dominica for the provision of local telephone services. Later, in 1995 the Government of Dominica purchased a 20% share of Cable & Wireless Dominica, and in 1997 the company led the introduction of mobile communication to the island country.

Today, FLOW Dominica operates a Customer Experience Centre in the capital city of Roseau and delivers high quality, seamless communication services throughout Dominica, with a varied range of integrated products and services. “These include voice, data, internet, and mobile, making FLOW the first choice of the customers we serve,” says Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager at FLOW Dominica. “Through the consumer brands FLOW, FLOW Business, and C&W Business, we touch thousands of Dominicans every day with reliable connections spread across mobile, broadband, landline, and digital television services. We were the first to introduce fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and the first telecoms provider to offer reliable, island-wide 4G LTE coverage.”

ENVIRONMENTAL SETBACK

In 2017, FLOW Dominica faced a major setback when Hurricane Maria struck the northeastern Caribbean. “The devastation caused to over 95% of FLOW’s network infrastructure by the deadly Hurricane Maria in 2017 opened the way for many more telecommunications firsts in Dominica,” says Mr. Baptiste. “A rebuild process began which would see major advancements taking place within mobile and the fixed network infrastructures. A significant change in the landscape of mobile technology came with FLOW launching the first the 4G LTE mobile network in July 2018, less than a year after Hurricane Maria. Simultaneously, work was progressing on the fixed network, paving the way for the launch of our revolutionary TV product, FLOW Evo.”

“Just one year prior, FLOW had purchased Marpin 2K4, a cable television company which unfortunately was destroyed by the hurricane,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “The company promised its TV customers at the time that Marpin 2K4 would be replaced with a service that was superior to anything previously experienced on the island. To date, FLOW has rolled out its fixed network in over 70% of the island, and is poised to hit completion by the end of 2022.”

GIVING BACK

FLOW Dominica has an ongoing commitment to give back to local Dominican communities. “We stand strongly by our four pillars of Education, Health, Sports, and Culture,” says Mr. Baptiste. “The FLOW Creole in the Park (CITP) is the biggest daytime event hosted during Dominica’s independence season in October, planned and executed by staff, serving to highlight the country’s rich culture, food, and entertainment. The company has hosted 14 FLOW Creole in the Park events over the years, except for three occasions when we have been challenged to host due to natural disasters and, most recently, COVID-19.”

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“FLOW REMAINS DRIVEN TO DELIVER THE VERY BEST COMMUNICATION SERVICES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUSINESSES, AND FAMILIES”

“Due to the presence of COVID-19 last year, activities could not be held at the level the company would have liked,” says Mr. Baptiste. “Instead, we focused on handing out masks to the public in support of local COVID-19 initiatives and visited our adopted Roseau Primary School for an IT education session with the teachers and students. In the past, we have worked with the Home for the Homeless (GROTTO) and the Home for Abandoned Children (CHANCES) carrying out cleaning projects, feeding programs and engagement activities.”

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS

The telecommunications company has invested EC$1.2 million into the local Dominican community. “The funds were made available through the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation to assist with hurricane recovery efforts in Dominica,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “Specifically, the Foundation gave support to three major projects on the island and donated EC$540,000 to the Government of Dominica to fund the rebuilding of the island’s lone public library which was destroyed by the hurricane of 2017. An equal amount was contributed to the organization All Hands & Hearts – Smart Response to help to rebuild and refurbish two primary schools, namely Paix Bouche and Morne Prosper. An amount of EC$125,000 was donated to FLOW’s adopted school, Roseau Primary for the refurbishment of its computer lab.”

PROMISING FUTURE

“FLOW Dominica is in the business of connecting people, being the leading quad-play full-service telecommunications provider in Dominica,” says Mr. Baptiste. “We are preparing to launch new competitive postpaid plans aimed at providing more value to that segment of the market. Customers will also be pleased as the option to bundle mobile and fixed services is well underway, saving customers a significant amount of money on their monthly bills.”

“We are looking ahead to completing the fixed build-out across Dominica so that every household can have access to our value-packed, revolutionary products and services,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “FLOW remains driven to deliver the very best communication services to local government, businesses, and families with one unifying promise: to build, connect, and above all else, improve the communities in which we serve.” c