Vishok Persaud

CEO of ENet

Titulo Guyana's Leap into the 5G era

Vishok Persaud, CEO of ENet, describes how ENet is leveraging Guyana’s telecom liberalization to scale next-generation services, expand rural access and build a resilient digital backbone for the entire nation.

“As Guyana’s population and economy expand, ENet will be a critical pillar in national development, powering sectors from education and health to oil and agriculture and preparing our youth for new global digital services and AI industries.”

Vishok Persaud

    • What changes have reshaped Guyana’s telecommunications landscape in recent years, and what challenges is the sector facing in 2025?

      For many years, a legal monopoly stifled innovation and investment in the nation’s telecommunications sector. In 2020, the sector was liberalized, unleashing competition and enabling providers to introduce cutting-edge technology to the market. Today, our greatest challenge is covering Guyana’s vast geography – around 50,000 square miles – for a population of under 800,000. Delivering affordable, high-quality service to rural areas remains difficult due to high infrastructure costs. However, this presents an opportunity. By building efficient, high-capacity networks and leveraging scale, we can drive down costs and extend connectivity to underserved regions.

      Fast-growing, innovative sectors can strain regulatory systems. However, we have seen strong support for modernization from the government and Public Utilities Commission, such as amending laws for number portability. There is a process to update legislation and build human-resource capacity, which takes time. However, the will to advance information and communications technology in Guyana is clear. Over the past five years, the local telecom and information and communications technology segment has seen a developmental quantum leap, reflecting leadership commitment towards tech-driven national development.

    • ENet was founded in 2003 to address the very poor and prohibitively expensive internet connectivity in Guyana. We recognized early on that rapid technological advancement was critical to our country’s future development. Our initial focus was on deploying wireless internet to deliver faster, more affordable access, bringing the connectivity explosion seen elsewhere in the world to Guyana in a way that everyone could use and afford.

      ENet has grown to a team of around 400 local professionals and is now the only locally owned mobile provider. We have built our own subsea cable linking Guyana to Barbados, effectively launching the nation’s first and only 5G network. We have also established the largest fiber footprint in the country, all funded and executed by our local team.

      By partnering with industry leaders such as Salesforce and Mavenir, we have created a cloud-native network driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that is both scalable and agile, making world-class connectivity accessible and affordable for all segments of Guyanese society. We have extended connectivity to remote regions such as Essequibo to empower local businesses and academic institutions and established major AI and cloud-native capabilities. Our major milestones have brought first-world technology to Guyana, underpinning growth across every economic sector.

      We are organized around a young, highly engaged local team that embraces rapid, software-driven deployment. From day one, we invested in AI integration and cloud-native architecture via partnerships with Salesforce and Mavenir. Internally, we foster a culture of brainstorming and swift implementation, avoiding analysis paralysis by prioritizing pilot projects and scaling proven solutions quickly. This approach has enabled us to cross rivers with new fiber links, deliver 5G and continually roll out AI-enabled features to simplify and enhance the customer experience.

    • Once a provider has its own international connectivity and data backbone, scale advantages diminish; cloud-native services level the playing field. As a local company, we deeply understand Guyanese customers’ needs and culture, enabling us to deliver tailored experiences that large international entrants often miss. We combine this localized focus with best-in-class global technology partners to maintain a competitive edge.

    • Our mission is to “provide, not just connect” – enabling every Guyanese to embrace and drive technology innovation. We will continue our aggressive investments to remain the country’s top telecom provider, having already set performance benchmarks with six Ookla speed test awards. As Guyana’s population and economy expand, ENet will be a critical pillar in national development, powering sectors from education and health to oil and agriculture and preparing our youth for new global digital services and AI industries.

      An initial public offering or B-series fundraising is an option that Enet has evaluated. However, we first require a partner who brings strategic value – such as new technology, skill sets or product diversification – rather than purely financial capital. Given Guyana’s strong sovereign rating, funding is accessible. Our focus is on partnerships that deepen our tech capabilities and expand our service offerings.

    • Coming from a technical background, I work hands-on alongside our team. We maintain a flat structure where every voice is heard to foster brainstorming and rapid implementation. As we have scaled, I have focused on preserving agility, encouraging small cross-functional teams to pilot new ideas and quickly move them into production. This collaborative, passion-driven culture has been central to our ability to innovate at speed.