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Misplaced Loyalty.

LIME recently embarked on a Jack The Ripper style assault against mobile rates, slashing them by 40-80%. This follows previous reductions in mobile Internet rates, improvements in customer service, and increased support for mobile devices such as Apple's iPhone and iPad, and Samsung's Galaxy phones and tablets. Overall, the company has been making great strides.

Yet, as LIME improves there are people who still dismiss them with a deep seated hatred. They remark that LIME can keep their new rates, and recall the days when LIME was C&WJ, TOJ, or even the long gone Jamintel. They rehash the history of robbery and injustice perpetrated by this company. Granted, LIME did rape this country back in the day, and kept us in the dark in terms of telephony. In fact, they were like a spawn of the devil. Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh - they were an adopted child of the devil. But competition has changed them, made them better.
Alas, competition has not won the hearts of Jamaicans who spurned them. When Digicel came to Jamaica, the populace rushed to embrace them like a child running to meet the rich aunt from foreign. And Aunty Digicel did shower us with gifts - flashy phones, lower rates, and good customer service.
Fast forward 12 years and most Jamaicans are still in love with Digicel, even though LIME has surpassed them in many ways - these rate reductions being the most recent frog leap. Granted, it's not always about the money, or the technology. Digicel has done a tremendous job moving Jamaica forward. They have also taught the greater business community how to be better corporate citizens. All of that is worthy of appreciation and loyalty.
At the end of the day though, this is business. Companies are not people. Even if you want to believe that the past incarnations of LIME deliberately set out to rob this country, there are two things to note.
First, the government are the ones which allowed this. If the situation was reversed, and Digicel was the company which had the monopoly back in the day, things would have been no different. That is the nature of monopolies - they rob us of choice, and the lack of alternatives give them free reign.
Second, all the people who were at the helm of that ship that rammed into this country are probably no longer there. They are long gone, even deceased. So just who exactly is there to hold a grudge against? I repeat, companies aren't people.
It could also be argued that Digicel has virtually become a monopoly, abusing this country as LIME did in the past. Look at the rates they previously penalized their own customers with for calling outside of the Digicel network - $14 to $17 dollars per minute! Those rates still stand if you haven't signed up for their flat rate service. Furthermore, their $8.99 rate was the first reduction we've seen in a decade. Does that sound like a company that has your interest at heart?
Allowing resentment for past wrongs to simmer and affect our financial decisions, is like stabbing ourselves in the wallet. Remember, Digicel doesn't love you, they just want your money.
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