Business
Jamaica: Wireless competition and rivalry intensifies
Digicel said its estimate of LIME’s customer base is based on information relating to the unique numbers of each interconnecting network operator. “Each unique number represents a unique customer,” Digicel said on Thursday.
“Our records indicate that at the end of January, there were over 500,000 unique LIME subscribers calling the Digicel network for the month of January.”
Sinclair is pushing for the minister responsible for telecoms or the regulator to set new interim rates for the sector until an agreement is reached on more permanent rate structure, saying it pays Digicel 7 US cents to terminate calls on its network, whereas Digicel pays it 1 US cent per call.
Sinclair says LIME is lobbying for a sliding scale of J$1 -to J$5 (US$0.01 -0.06) for mobile to mobile rates, and about J$6.50 (US$ 0.08) for cross-net rates.
Digicel said it remains steadfast in its commitment to working with the Government, regulatory bodies and fellow telecoms operators, in “ensuring the best interest of Jamaican consumers is served”.
The telecoms said at a meeting organised and facilitated by Phillip Paulwell’s ministry on February 7, it was asked to explain to LIME how payments made under the fixed to mobile system operates, “which LIME previously clearly did not understand”.
On Tuesday, February 14, ICT Minister Phillip Paulwell said after three weeks of talks involving Flow, LIME and Digicel, the parties agreed broadly to the introduction of local number portability for both fixed and mobile networks; establishment and resourcing of the single telecommunications regulator; and a review of the universal service obligation to make broadband services more easily accessible.
