Choice Official Will Manage Communications Technology at RTPark

Interesting story out of St. Thomas and St. Croix:

"March 17, 2008 -- The University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park has signed on a Choice Communications official to manage the tech park's telecommunications connectivity and network capacity inside the Global Crossing fiber hub on St. Croix.

Cornelius Prior Jr. is chairman of the Salem, Mass.-based Atlantic Tele-Network, as well as its Virgin Islands-based subsidiary, Choice Communications, which provides wireless and dial-up Internet and wireless television service.

"The success of RTPark's mission to foster the growth of leading knowledge-based and e-commerce businesses in the U.S. Virgin Islands depends on support from private-sector leaders," said David Zumwalt, executive director of RTPark. "Mr. Prior has served our territory as chairman of Vitelco from 1987 to 1997, the rural telephone industry of the U.S. as president of the Eastern Rural Telephone Association for two years and the Caribbean telecommunications industry most recently as chairman of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations."

Zumwalt emphasized to the Source the contract was with Prior personally, not with Choice Communications.

"This is not a relationship with Choice," he said Monday. "It is with Neil Prior. We are carrier neutral."

Prior will handle the provision of Internet connectivity, providing specific amounts and types of bandwidth. He will ensure the services are provided and manage billing. "

Emphasis ours. That is an easy thing to say, but Prior owns about $150 million worth of ATN stock and his son is the CEO of Atlantic Tele Networks. While it may not be a direct conflict of interest for the Tech Park (there aren't that many people in the USVI with Neil Priors credentials), you would have to imagine it at least gives ATN an advantage on potential new business.

Atlantic Tele-Network Inc. Q4 2007 Earnings Call Transcript

Atlantic Tele-Network Inc. (ATNI)

Q4 2007 Earnings Call

February 29, 2008 10:00 am ET

Executives

Justin Benincasa - CFO

Michael Prior - President and CEO

Analysts

Gaurav Jaitly - UBS

Hamed Khorsand - BWS Financial

Ric Prentiss - Raymond James

Adam France - Keane Capital