PR – 26th May 2020 It is with great sadness that we announce that Donnie Fitzgerald Fedelis De Freitas, former Managing Director and Director of Technical Services at ECTEL, died suddenly on Friday 22nd May 2020 in Suva, Fiji, where he resided and worked.
Deepest condolences are extended to his wife, his family and friends, and colleagues, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, Board of Directors, Management and Staff of ECTEL and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRCs).
Donnie was a proud national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who made his mark during the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in the ECTEL Member States of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines from the late 1990s.
In his pioneering role as Project Manager of the World Bank OECS Telecommunications Reform Project, Donnie participated in negotiations between the governments and Cable & Wireless, which eventually resulted in the end of the existing monopoly of telecoms services. He played an instrumental role in the establishment of our unique multi-island regulatory authority – ECTEL.
During the transition of the OECS Telecommunications Reform Project to ECTEL, Donnie served, from 2000 – 2003, as the Interim Managing Director, and Secretary to the Council of Ministers of ECTEL.
He also served as Director of Technical Services from 2004 to 2009, during which time he provided quality technical advice on a broad range of issues that included: Licensing, Infrastructure Sharing, Quality of Service, Network Management, Broadband Access and Number Portability among others.
Donnie was a great team player, always willing to offer advice and his expertise to all members of staff at ECTEL, as well as to the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions in the five ECTEL Member States, and other regulatory agencies.
He was well travelled and well known throughout the Region and beyond, because of his dedication to the further advancement of the telecoms sector, and also because of his sense of humour and easy going nature. His colleagues and friends and associates will remember him as very affable and outgoing. He will be missed!
