Communications on the British Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia
Telephone
s - main lines in use:
11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,000 (2002)
Telephone system:
worldwide telephone service
general assessment:
worldwide telephone service
domestic:
NA
international:
country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda
; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Radio
broadcast
stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television
broadcast stations:
1 (ZBTV
), (plus one cable company) (1997)
Internet Service Provider
s (ISPs):
1 (1999)
Internet country code:
.vg
Internet hosts:
465 (2008)
Internet users:
4,000 (2002)
In 2006, the British Virgin Islands government undertook a deregulation
of the telephone industry. Prior to 2006, in common with many other Caribbean countries, Cable & Wireless (Caribbean) had a statutory monopoly
on telephone and other electronic communications services. However, in the 1990s, a local company called CCT Boatphone, which had previously provided radio boatphones to tourists on charter boats, expanded into cellular (mobile) telecommunications for land-based users. Although technically in breach of the statutory monopoly, CCT Boatphone was backed by a powerful collection of local interests known as the BVI Investment Club. Negotiations between Cable & Wireless and CCT Boatphone led to a split of the monopolies, with Cable & Wireless retaining a monopoly over fixed line and internet services, and CCT Boatphone keeping a de facto monopoly over cellular telephones.
In 2007 the Government abolished the previously existing monopolies under an order made pursuant to the new legislation. The process proved politically fraught, and the Government's Minister for Communications and Works, Alvin Christopher, ended up leaving the Government and joining the opposition party as a result of the furore. The process was also criticised as cumbersome and slow, the initial deregulation having been announced in 2004, and taking no less than three years to come to fruition through delays in legislation and regulation.
Although there have been no new entrants into the fixed line industry, the government issued three licenses under the new regime to cellular telephone service providers. The existing provider, CCT Boatphone, obtained one license. Bmobile
, the cellular arm of Cable & Wireless, obtained a second. The third license was obtained by BVI Cable TV, a local cable television service. The license in favour of BVI Cable was controversial, as the Regulator had announced in advance that only three licenses in total would be issued, and BVI Cable TV had crumbling cable television infrastructure, and was in no position to office cellular telephone services (and to date, has not offered any cellular telephone services, or anything other than simple cable television). However, bmobile's main regional competitor, Digicel
, was rejected for a license. The decision was regarded as highly controversial in the local media.
Digicel then issued court proceedings against the Regulator, arguing that he had acted improperly by imposing an arbitrary limit of three licenses (although interestingly no complaint was made about the decision to prefer BVI Cable TV's improbable license over Digicel). Bmobile was joined to the suit as an interested party. High Court Judge Rita Joseph-Olivetti found in favour of Digicel and quashed the original decision. Digicel commenced separate proceedings against Cable and Wireless (as bmobile's parent company) in the English courts
, claiming that Cable & Wireless has unfairly stifled competition in several Caribbean jurisdictions. During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology.
Digicel was finally granted a licence on 17 December 2007 and plans to start operations in the BVI sometime in 2008.
and
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s - main lines in use:
11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8,000 (2002)
Telephone system:
worldwide telephone service
general assessment:
worldwide telephone service
domestic:
NA
international:
country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
- ZBVI-AM 780 Tortola
- ZJKC-FM 90.9 Tortola
- ZGLD-FM 91.7 Tortola
- ZCCR-FM 94.1 Todman's Peak
- ZWVE-FM 97.3 Tortola
- ZKNG-FM 100.9 Chalwell
- ZROD-FM 103.7 Tortola
- ZVCR-FM 106.9 Chalwell
Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcast stations:
1 (ZBTV
ZBTV
ZBTV is the local television station for Road Town, and the rest of the British Virgin Islands. Not much else is known about the station, and it is not known if this station is still on the air....
), (plus one cable company) (1997)
Internet Service Provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s (ISPs):
1 (1999)
Internet country code:
.vg
Internet hosts:
465 (2008)
Internet users:
4,000 (2002)
- See also : British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
Deregulation of the telephone market
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the telephone industry. Prior to 2006, in common with many other Caribbean countries, Cable & Wireless (Caribbean) had a statutory monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on telephone and other electronic communications services. However, in the 1990s, a local company called CCT Boatphone, which had previously provided radio boatphones to tourists on charter boats, expanded into cellular (mobile) telecommunications for land-based users. Although technically in breach of the statutory monopoly, CCT Boatphone was backed by a powerful collection of local interests known as the BVI Investment Club. Negotiations between Cable & Wireless and CCT Boatphone led to a split of the monopolies, with Cable & Wireless retaining a monopoly over fixed line and internet services, and CCT Boatphone keeping a de facto monopoly over cellular telephones.
In 2007 the Government abolished the previously existing monopolies under an order made pursuant to the new legislation. The process proved politically fraught, and the Government's Minister for Communications and Works, Alvin Christopher, ended up leaving the Government and joining the opposition party as a result of the furore. The process was also criticised as cumbersome and slow, the initial deregulation having been announced in 2004, and taking no less than three years to come to fruition through delays in legislation and regulation.
Although there have been no new entrants into the fixed line industry, the government issued three licenses under the new regime to cellular telephone service providers. The existing provider, CCT Boatphone, obtained one license. Bmobile
LIME (Cable & Wireless)
LIME, an acronym for 'Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment', is a communications provider owned by the British based Cable & Wireless Communications plc operating in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts...
, the cellular arm of Cable & Wireless, obtained a second. The third license was obtained by BVI Cable TV, a local cable television service. The license in favour of BVI Cable was controversial, as the Regulator had announced in advance that only three licenses in total would be issued, and BVI Cable TV had crumbling cable television infrastructure, and was in no position to office cellular telephone services (and to date, has not offered any cellular telephone services, or anything other than simple cable television). However, bmobile's main regional competitor, Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
, was rejected for a license. The decision was regarded as highly controversial in the local media.
Digicel then issued court proceedings against the Regulator, arguing that he had acted improperly by imposing an arbitrary limit of three licenses (although interestingly no complaint was made about the decision to prefer BVI Cable TV's improbable license over Digicel). Bmobile was joined to the suit as an interested party. High Court Judge Rita Joseph-Olivetti found in favour of Digicel and quashed the original decision. Digicel commenced separate proceedings against Cable and Wireless (as bmobile's parent company) in the English courts
Courts of England and Wales
Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...
, claiming that Cable & Wireless has unfairly stifled competition in several Caribbean jurisdictions. During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology.
Digicel was finally granted a licence on 17 December 2007 and plans to start operations in the BVI sometime in 2008.
and