Telesur

Telesur, formally the Telecommunications Company Suriname, is the government-owned telecommunications operator serving Suriname. Its business covers fixed and mobile voice communications, internet connectivity, hosting and related digital services. The company operates as a full-service national telecommunications provider rather than as a narrowly focused mobile or broadband brand. The organization traces its institutional roots to Suriname’s earlier public communications services. On May 1, 1945, the National Telegraph Telephone Service, known as ’s Lands Telegraaf Telefoondienst or LTT, was created through the merger of the National Radio Service and the National Telephone Entity. Those predecessor organizations had been established in 1925 and 1907 respectively. The company later adopted the name ’s Lands Telegraaf Telefoonbedrijf in 1973, before taking the Telesur name in 1981. For much of its history, Telesur operated in a protected national telecommunications environment. That position changed in 2007, when Suriname’s Telecommunications Services Law introduced competition and ended the company’s monopoly. The market subsequently included other operators, including Digicel, but Telesur remained a central provider of national fixed, mobile and internet infrastructure. Telesur’s mobile business is marketed primarily through the TeleG service. TeleG was introduced in 2002 using GSM technology, expanding the company’s role from traditional telephone and telegraph services into consumer mobile communications. The mobile network has subsequently incorporated GSM, CDMA, UMTS, HSPA+ and LTE technologies. The published network configuration includes GSM operation at 900 and 1800 MHz, HSDPA at 2100 MHz, and CDMA EVDO at 450 MHz. The company launched a 3G service in October 2011. Coverage and service quality were initially uneven, with some customers reporting difficulty connecting to the internet or placing and receiving calls. Telesur relaunched the 3G service in 2012 after improvements. At that stage, coverage extended to Paramaribo and selected areas of Nickerie, Commewijne, Wanica, Para and Marowijne. Telesur introduced 4G mobile service on November 15, 2013. The initial deployment covered selected locations in Paramaribo and Commewijne, followed by further expansion during 2014. The company reported reaching nationwide 4G coverage by the end of that year. Telesur’s LTE rollout placed it in direct competition with Digicel, which launched its own 4G network in Suriname in July 2014. Alongside mobile services, Telesur provides broadband and dedicated internet access, streaming connectivity, web hosting, internet calling and domain-name registration. Its internet proposition was previously associated with the Tele.i trademark, but the company now presents these services under the Telesur internet name. Telesur also manages and operates Suriname’s .sr country-code top-level domain, giving it a role in the country’s internet infrastructure beyond retail connectivity. In 2008, the company expanded its operations to the Netherlands. The core of the business, however, remains its national Surinamese telecommunications network and consumer, enterprise and public-sector service base. Telesur’s current identity therefore combines a long-standing state telecommunications institution with mobile, broadband and digital infrastructure offerings.

Telesur is the modern successor to several public communications institutions in Suriname. Its immediate corporate predecessor, ’s Lands Telegraaf Telefoondienst, or LTT, was established on May 1, 1945. LTT resulted from the combination of two earlier services: the National Radio Service, created in 1925, and the National Telephone Entity, founded in 1907. This merger brought important national telegraph, telephone and radio functions into a single public organization. In 1973, the organization changed its name to ’s Lands Telegraaf Telefoonbedrijf, reflecting its broader telegraph and telephone operating role. The Telesur name was formally adopted in 1981. The rebranding marked the company’s development as a modern national telecommunications enterprise while preserving its public-service lineage. Telesur’s first major mobile expansion came in 2002, when it introduced TeleG using GSM technology. This added cellular voice and data services to the company’s established fixed telecommunications activities. Over time, the mobile network incorporated multiple generations and standards, including GSM, CDMA, UMTS, HSPA+ and LTE. The company has operated GSM frequencies at 900 and 1800 MHz, HSDPA at 2100 MHz and a CDMA EVDO network at 450 MHz. The regulatory environment changed significantly in 2007. Suriname’s Telecommunications Services Law removed Telesur’s monopoly, allowing competing telecommunications operators to enter the market. The end of exclusivity required Telesur to compete for customers while continuing to maintain a substantial national communications infrastructure. In 2008, the company also expanded its activities to the Netherlands. Mobile network development became a central part of Telesur’s competitive response. TeleG launched 3G service in October 2011. The initial network was not uniformly available, and some users later experienced poor internet connections or problems making and receiving calls. Telesur relaunched the service in 2012 after improvements. At that point, service covered Paramaribo and selected parts of Nickerie, Commewijne, Wanica, Para and Marowijne. The next network-generation transition began with the launch of 4G on November 15, 2013. The first phase covered 56 locations in Paramaribo and Commewijne, after which Telesur expanded the network during 2014. By the end of that year, the company reported that its 4G coverage target for Suriname had been achieved. The rollout took place in a competitive environment: Digicel launched its own 4G service in Suriname in July 2014. Telesur’s business is not limited to mobile connectivity. The company provides fixed telephone services, broadband internet, dedicated internet access, streaming, web hosting and internet calling. It also provides domain-name registration and administers Suriname’s .sr country-code top-level domain. Internet services were previously marketed under the Tele.i trademark, whose name referred to Telesur internet, but the company later shifted to the Telesur internet name. The company remains a government-owned full-service telecommunications provider. Its history therefore spans the country’s early public telephone and radio institutions, the consolidation of national telecommunications under a single operator, the arrival of mobile technology, the introduction of competition and the migration from older networks to 3G and 4G. Telesur continues to operate as a major telecommunications and internet-infrastructure institution in Suriname.

1. 20144G coverage expanded nationwide

   Telesur expanded its 4G network and reported reaching nationwide coverage by year-end.

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2. 20134G launched

   Telesur introduced 4G service on November 15, initially in selected locations.

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3. 20113G launched

   TeleG launched third-generation mobile service in October.

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4. 2008Netherlands expansion

   Telesur expanded operations to the Netherlands.

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5. 2007Telecommunications market liberalized

   The Telecommunications Services Law ended Telesur’s monopoly position.

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6. 2002TeleG GSM service launched

   Telesur entered mobile telecommunications with its TeleG GSM service.

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7. 1981Telesur name adopted

   The organization officially changed its name to Telesur.

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8. 1973Organization renamed

   The company adopted the name ’s Lands Telegraaf Telefoonbedrijf.

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9. 1945LTT formed

   The National Telegraph Telephone Service was created on May 1 through the merger of the National Radio Service and the National Telephone Entity.

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10. 1925National Radio Service established

    Suriname’s National Radio Service was founded and later became part of the organization that evolved into Telesur.

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11. 1907National Telephone Entity established

    The institution later absorbed into Telesur’s predecessor structure was established as Suriname’s National Telephone Entity.

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A national, government-owned full-service telecommunications provider combining fixed-line, mobile, broadband and internet-infrastructure services.

• TeleGMobile telecommunications2002

  TeleG is Telesur’s mobile telecommunications service. It began as a GSM offering in 2002 and later developed across 3G and 4G generations. The service has used GSM, UMTS, HSPA+ and LTE technologies, with the published network configuration also including a CDMA EVDO network. TeleG is the principal consumer-facing mobile brand associated with Telesur.

• Telesur internetInternet services

  Telesur internet encompasses the company’s consumer and business connectivity services. Offerings described for the service include broadband internet, dedicated internet access, streaming connectivity, internet calling, web hosting and domain-name registration. These services were previously associated with the Tele.i trademark, but Telesur now presents them under the Telesur internet name.

• Fixed telecommunicationsFixed-line communications

  Telesur’s fixed telecommunications business represents the company’s historical telephone and national communications role. It complements the mobile and internet businesses and forms part of Telesur’s position as Suriname’s full-service telecommunications provider.

• .sr domain administrationInternet infrastructure

  Telesur manages and operates Suriname’s .sr country-code top-level domain. This activity gives the company an internet-infrastructure role in addition to its retail connectivity and communications services.

• 2013Deploy 4G mobile networkGeneration change

  Telesur was transitioning from 3G to a faster mobile-data platform in an increasingly competitive market.

  What changed. The company launched 4G on November 15, 2013, beginning with selected locations in Paramaribo and Commewijne.

  Aftermath. Coverage was expanded during 2014, with Telesur reporting nationwide 4G coverage by the end of that year.

  • Digicel — Digicel launched its own 4G network in Suriname in July 2014.
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• 2011Launch and improvement of 3G mobile serviceGeneration change

  Mobile customers increasingly required faster data access in addition to voice service.

  What changed. Telesur launched TeleG 3G service in October 2011 and relaunched it in 2012 after reported connection and calling problems.

  Aftermath. The improved service remained geographically concentrated in Paramaribo and selected districts before later network expansion.

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• 2007Adapt to a liberalized telecommunications marketStrategy

  The Telecommunications Services Law ended Telesur’s monopoly and introduced competition into Suriname’s telecommunications market.

  What changed. Telesur continued operating as a full-service provider while competing in the newly opened market.

  Aftermath. The company faced competition from operators including Digicel while retaining a major national infrastructure role.

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• 2002Enter mobile telecommunications through TeleGProduct launch

  Telesur needed to extend its traditional fixed and public telecommunications role into cellular communications.

  What changed. The company launched TeleG using GSM technology.

  Aftermath. TeleG became the platform for Telesur’s subsequent 3G and 4G mobile-network development.

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• 2014Telesur reaches nationwide 4G coverage

  The company expanded 4G coverage during 2014 and reported achieving coverage throughout Suriname by the end of the year.

  Product generation
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• 2013TeleG 4G network introduced

  Telesur launched its 4G mobile network on November 15, 2013, beginning with coverage in selected locations in Paramaribo and Commewijne.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2012TeleG 3G service relaunched after early performance problems

  Following customer reports of weak internet performance and unsuccessful calls, Telesur relaunched the 3G service after making service improvements.

  Product generationOther
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• 2011TeleG 3G network launched

  TeleG introduced third-generation mobile connectivity in October 2011, initially with limited geographic availability.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2008Telesur expands operations to the Netherlands

  Telesur expanded its operations beyond Suriname into the Netherlands.

  Other
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• 2007Telesur loses its telecommunications monopoly

  Suriname’s Telecommunications Services Law opened the market to competition and ended Telesur’s previous monopoly position.

  Regulation
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• 2002TeleG mobile service launched

  Telesur introduced TeleG as its GSM-based mobile telecommunications service, extending the company into consumer cellular communications.

  Product launch
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1. Telesur (Suriname)
2. Telesur official website