More fines coming for telecoms firms
Alee Fa’amoe, ICTA Managing Director
(CNS): The Information and Communication Authority has said that it cannot yet reveal the names of telecommunication firms that have been fined for breaches of the law and regulations surrounding the sector, but said more fines are expected as investigations continue. The minister with responsibility for communications recently revealed that the regulator had issued its first administrative fine to a local communications company after it failed to inform the ICTA that its service to 911 was down. The ICTA denied that the firm in question was Cable & Wireless (C&W) but said enquiries were continuing.
CNS was informed at the beginning of this month by sources close to the incident that the issue related to Flow, C&W’s local brand, as questions to both the ICTA and C&W about the fine, which was revealed by Minister Kurt Tibbetts in the Legislative Assembly, remained unanswered.
But the ICTA has now stated that the first $75k fine it issued was not levied against Flow or C&W. However, ICTA Director Alee Fa’amoe said the authority was not in a position to disclose which licensee was actually fined, as an investigation into several licensees for the same infraction is currently underway in accordance with the Information & Communications Technology Authority Law.
“It is anticipated that this inquiry will result in more fines,” Fa’amoe stated. He said more information would be revealed once the ICTA had concluded its investigation but it “would be unfair to single out any particular licensee at this point”.
However, the ICTA did reveal that it has pulled out of talks with C&W in relation to the acquisition of the firm by Liberty Global as it discovered during the course of the negotiations regarding the change of ownership licence that a number of immigration law breaches relating to the firm’s Cayman CEO and other senior management.
The local telecoms sector has been in the spotlight recently due to a number of issues, not least the problems associated with local internet services and the failure of a number of companies to consistently supply the capacity and speed that customers pay for. The ICTA has begun enforcing the law and the government has revealed plans to ensure improvements in the quality of service, as well as plans for a utilities commission to keep a better eye on the service providers and protect the consumer.
Category: Local News
The only solution to the telecom problem locally is to use the CUC model. Float the company stock locally and encourage Caymanians to have a stake and say in their infrastructure. This was what Bo Miller advocated and it makes sense to all major infrastructure and industries. Caymanians built FLOW LIME whatever they will be called next but politicians were too busy lining their own pockets to float the stock under the franchise renewal terms.
Well done Mr. Fa’amoe, now get all to provide the capacity and speed on a constant basis that we pay for. Thanks, see more competition is not always better.
Why does Flow only give you 3 months to use your prepaid credit and by the end of the 3 months if you haven’t used it all they take it from you anyway
Such a rip off!
Such a lovely picture of a really nice man. Lookin’ good Alee!
Its those multi generational genes!
Well we all knowmflowmis on the top of the list , because I know im sickmof paying these high bills for the crap services that they provide , digicel have great prices but the plans are not that great for me as everyone I know has flow hard anyone has digicel unlessmits just for the internet and free digicel to digicel free unlimited calls and text , flow doesnt do any of that but each and every month without fail these high bills are a waiting you the customer
You don’t need any plan my dear chap, if you text, talk and write emails like you wrote above no one can understand you anyway….
Use sentences.
Charge those companies that overcharge caymanians and try to make our lives harder
The telecom companies should be taken over or gotten rid of if they don’t want to play ball
we don’t need them anyways they keep taking our money and send it over seas
Good thinking Batman! Just this weekend I renewed my string line and empty tin can telephone system. Long distance is tough, but hey, we can bring back jungle drums right? Is your cave anywhere near mine? I would google search, but hey, no internet…
Really stupid comment. Did u really think the only telecom companies that exist are already here? Sheesh.
I thought it was great. Do you really think some other foreign company will be different?
Really stupid comment – as opposed to lets welcome in another foreign company but tell them they cannot repatriate profits to their shareholders. Yeah, that will work. As you say, sheesh.
Right, because Government will run it a lot better.
Why waste your time writing such nonsense.
Someone said Flow stands for ” following lime old ways” I thought that was funny!!
Oh dear…I think you mean “account holders” and not just “Caymanians” as well all get ripped off by Flow.