by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Despite the verbal sparring between telecommunications companies GTA TeleGuam and IT&E, Thursday night IT&E Executive Vice-President Larry Knecht participated in a teleconference aimed at providing residents of the CNMI an opportunity to listen and learn about the $89 million grant application, as well as provide comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Knecht pronounced, "This grant will improve your lives, your children's lives and will offer an opportunity that only a few months would never even imagined. It has the potential to change the region in perhaps the most profound way that we have not seen in our lifetime." He added, "There are certain competitors who chose not to participate and now are taking every action to block our partnership. We are committed to our community and our committed to fight and support our students our educators, our policemen, our firemen, our doctors, our nurses and the community as a whole."

GTA TeleGuam's Executive Vice President for External and Legal Affairs Dan Tygingco maintains Guam and the CNMI are very different markets with different needs, saying this is reflective in the availability and cost of services at both locations. Tydingco added that GTA has no hesitation or reservation in supporting the CNMI, where need is apparent, in securing all the stimulus funds they may need for their communities.

Perhaps, he asserted, CNMI could ask the NTIA to sever their needs from those of Guam.