After extending Cable and Wireless's monopoly telecoms licence for a month in January, the BVI's new Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has now given the company a further month's extension to the end of March. It has also extended the licences held by Caribbean Cellular Telephone and BVI Cable TV.
The BVI has constituted the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission under its 2006 Telecommunications Act, but liberalization appears to be going slowly, with a national telecommunications policy yet to be announced.
While the politicians dither, the Commission cannot issue new 'unitary' licences to C&W or to other applicants for various types of licence including CCT Global Communications, BVI Cable TV, Digicel and Virgin Live Media.
Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission David Iverson said: “The number of new licences to be issued is dependent on the Minister’s policy statement, which has not yet been issued. This policy statement is expected in the near future.”
CCT currently operates mobile services, and Director Meade Malone recently accused Cable and Wireless of predatory behaviour, asserting that C&W had attempted to drive CCT into bankruptcy, continued to charge it interconnection rates above its own retail tariffs, and had disrupted CCT's network by testing a wireless communications system over the same frequencies used by CCT.
Cable & Wireless chief executive Vance Lewis says that the government promised it could apply for a mobile licence last year, but that nothing had transpired. It denies behaving unreasonably towards CCT: "All efforts we have undertaken have been done with government approval and within legal and ethical boundaries. Government owns the frequency, and all of this was accomplished with the understanding that a license was to be received by the end of January 2007," Lewis said.
CCT said in February that it had formed a partnership with EOCG group, a regional mobile firm with operations in Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba, which would allow it to offer cheaper international roaming, plus Direct TV service.
Cable and Wireless has recently reported rapidly increasing broadband customer numbers and revenues in the Caribbean.
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