DIGICEL WINS INNOVATION AWARD FOR TCHOTCHO MOBILE IN HAITI

-       Digicel and Scotiabank’s TchoTcho Mobile Service wins Consumer Service Innovation Award from Global Telecoms Business magazine

Wednesday June 8^th 2011 – Kingston, Jamaica: Digicel has won the 2011 Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award for Consumer Service Innovation for its TchoTcho Mobile Money service in Haiti.

This is the second time in three years that Digicel has won the prestigious Global Telecoms Business innovation award – the last time being for its introduction of the world's first solar powered mobile phone in 2009.

Colm Delves, Group CEO of Digicel, comments; “We believe TchoTcho Mobile will change the way people live and make transactions. With over 2.4 million subscribers and delivering 95% population coverage and the largest retail network, Digicel is uniquely placed to deliver mobile money services successfully. We are delighted to receive this award and certain that TchoTcho Mobile will fast become an essential part of people’s lives in Haiti.”

The award was presented to Digicel last night at the Global Telecoms Business Innovation Awards ceremony in London. Designed to celebrate collaboration between operators and vendors, the Consumer Service Innovation award recognises the most innovative projects in the industry worldwide and was first presented in 2007.

“Scotiabank is proud to partner with Digicel to offer this innovative and affordable product to people in Haiti,” said Luce Veilleux, Senior Vice-President, Retail Products, Scotiabank. “It’s important to us to continue playing a positive role in Haiti’s success by making financial services accessible, promoting financial inclusion  and enabling businesses to grow and drive the successes of the Haitian economy just as we have since 1972.”

Global Telecoms Business magazine is part of the Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC group, a leading international business-to-business media group focused primarily on the international finance sector.

Digicel is the single largest private investor in Haiti, with an investment of US$490 million to date. Now serving 2.4 million customers, Digicel’s 2005 establishment in Haiti saw mobile prices lowered significantly and mobile penetration going from a very low five per cent to more than 35 per cent today, thanks largely to Digicel.

Furthermore, according to the French development agency, Proparco, Digicel Haiti has directly and indirectly contributed to a remarkable 20 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth between 2005 and 2007 (14 per cent directly, three per cent through suppliers and another three per cent through retailers).

Digicel also offers mobile money services in Fiji and Tonga.

ENDS

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP

After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com  for more information.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $571 billion (as at April 30, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com