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Exhibition - Cable and Wireless  showcases 130  years of service |18 May 2023

Exhibition - Cable and Wireless  showcases 130  years of service

By Sunny Esparon

 

To celebrate 130 years of service, Cable and Wireless (C&W) has put up an exhibition which was officially opened yesterday morning at Kenwyn House.

The event also coincided with World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Former Mayor and a past Cable and Wireless employee, David Andre, stated that Cable and Wireless holds a certain “brass” in the country in terms of the heritage and cultural significance.

“Cable and Wireless is the telecommunications company that started it all, radio, TV, telegram and others,” he stated. “To reach 130 years is culturally remarkable and we should congratulate them.”

For the occasion, the company’s chief executive Georges D'Offay, who was absent, sent a virtual message for the exhibition. In his message, Mr D’Offay stated that there was no better place than Kenwyn House to host the exhibition, as this was where the story of C&W started.

“Our eastern founders and South Africa Telecom brought the property in 1890,” he explained. The historic establishment that had been declared as a national monument, was used as a residential area for the chief engineers.

“When the first cables were being laid down to connect Seychelles to the internet, this was a remarkable phase in our history as a nation,” he stated.

Mr D’Offay exclaimed that the anniversary is a perfect opportunity to relive all the old fond memories. “In my 40 years, I have many fond memories that I have experienced in this company. He explained that during his tenure, he has had a chance to work with many people who have touched him emotionally one way or another.

“I am really proud that I am the CEO of a company that not only does commercial products, but connects people with the entire world.”

He was particularly happy about one of his memories, which included the first time live TV was installed in the country and Liverpool won the European Cup in 1976. “The education and commitment is shown by our employees that we use as an inspiration for our youth who are growing up.”

Mr D’Offay stated that he was really proud of some of the employees that had over 40 years of service in the company and he acknowledged them for their huge accomplishments.

“130 years in Seychelles is a lot of time, and that permitted Cable and Wireless to establish its reputation and its heritage as the first telecom company to connect Seychelles with the rest of the world.”

He acknowledged the fact that the occasion would not have been possible without the support from everyone in the huge undertaking.

“I will take this opportunity to thank the board that was here to give us all their support. Our clients always remain loyal to us.”

Mr Andre spoke a little bit about his own personal experience from when he joined Cable and Wireless fresh out of school in November 1976. The moment he wrote his letter to Cable, he was instantly hired the next day and he worked in the Telegram and Telex Department.

“I worked with a lot of interesting people, including Edgar D'Offay who is the brother of the CEO of C&W,” he said.

He stated that he had a chance to discover multiple aspects of telecommunications and even learned how to write in Morse code. “I looked forward to discovering even more in the world of telecommunication and gradually I got a scholarship to go to England.”

The Business Operations Manager, Marc Desnousse, who has had over 37 years at Cable and Wireless explained what the exhibition and celebration of 130 years meant. “This event is extremely important and it will show us where we began as a company and the evolution of our services.”

In his personal tenure, Mr Desnousse started off as a simple trainee and he developed his prolific career before becoming the Business Operations Manager. He explained how the whole event is a celebration of the entire C&W team. “Unfortunately, there were certain things that we wanted to put in the exhibition but we could not, such as the telex and fax machines,” he expressed.

In the future of the company, Mr Desnousse proclaimed that it will always be innovative to bring forward new technology and with the constant technological advancement, there is no way of telling which direction things can go.

“We are ready to develop and make sure that we are ahead,” he explained.

He discussed the fact that Cable and Wireless is the only telecommunication company that has quad play and is now installing fibre on all the other outer islands. Quad play includes, voice, internet, television and radio. It is also the sole company with 5G in the country.

Also present at the event was principal secretary for Department of Information Communication Technology, Benjamin Choppy.

Mr Choppy and Mr Andre were taken on a tour of the exhibition to show various antique technology devices as well as the history of Cable and Wireless itself.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the exhibition.

 

Photos by Louis Toussaint

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