Caribbean service provider Digicel Group ended 2005 with a flurry of activity, having launched pre-WiMAX service in the Cayman Islands and having closed acquisitions of spectrum licenses that will allow the carrier to enter new markets in the new year. The company said this week that it will "aggressively grow and expand in 2006," after investing about $1 billion in the region's communications infrastructure thus far. Colm Delves, CEO of Digicel Group, said the company will roll out WiMAX in new markets beyond the Cayman Islands this year.

The five-year-old company has operations in 15 countries, covering a population of 14 million people. It currently has 1.4 million subscribers.

In recent months, Digicel acquired spectrum licenses allowing it to operate in Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago. Services in both countries will debut early this year, Digicel said. The carrier also bought licenses from Cingular Wireless that will allow it to launch service in Bermuda and other markets. In addition, Digicel acquired Curacao Telecom.

During 2005, Digicel also raised $300 million in a bond offering led by Citigroup and JP Morgan. This money will be used to help fund Digicel's further expansion, the company said.