OfReg calls out Flow over lack of local resiliency
(CNS): The utilities regulator, OfReg, said Wednesday that Flow’s dependency on overseas systems and personnel outside Cayman is unacceptable after its TV service was interrupted here for the fifth day. The outage is due to problems at Flow’s regional offshore data centre in Curaçao, which houses and manages the affected TV systems for several country markets. OfReg described the situation as “deeply concerning”.
In a press release, OfReg stated that it has been closely monitoring the issue since service was disrupted in the Cayman Islands at lunchtime on 14 June. The regulator confirmed that around 1,500 of Flow’s IPTV customers were affected and that delays in restoring the service were attributed to software issues and hardware damage at the overseas facility.
OfReg said some mobile voice services and TV functions were temporarily restored using workarounds, but full-scale recovery of all systems has proven elusive. The work continues with no estimated time of restoration given.
The regulator said it is increasingly clear that local technicians are limited in their ability to resolve these issues directly, highlighting an unacceptable level of dependence on systems and personnel located abroad.
“The Cayman Islands is a critical commercial market for Flow and that deserves the same or greater reliability and resilience over any other jurisdiction,” said OfReg CEO Sonji Myles. “It is deeply concerning that services so vital to our community can be disrupted for days due to failures in another country — with limited local capacity to respond. We are calling on all service providers to reassess their infrastructure strategies and ensure that robust redundancies are in place to protect Cayman consumers.”
The regulators said it is time for clearer obligations and enforcement where necessary, though it is not clear what enforcement mechanisms Ofreg has to hold utility providers accountable.
Myles said the issue was not just about technical resilience. “It’s about ensuring that consumers are getting the quality of service they pay for and deserve.”
OfReg said that technical failures may sometimes be unavoidable, but the gaps in adequate redundancy and disaster recovery protocols are serious regulatory and customer service issues, and customers should not be billed for services they are not receiving, which it will address directly with Flow.
The authority will also ensure that “available consumer protections are enforced under existing legislation”. OfReg said it will propose further provisions as it lobbies the government to implement necessary legislative updates to support better service reliability and accountability.
OfReg said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. The regulator added that it remains committed to ensuring that consumers in the Cayman Islands receive the reliable services they are entitled to and to holding licensees accountable at all times.
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Category: Business, Politics, Private Sector Oversight, utilities
As far as I can remember, the TV service didn’t work properly until Friday—it had been down for quite a while. And honestly, it’s still a mystery why FLOW hasn’t upgraded the island to 4K boxes yet.
So many issues with Flow’s service, it is frustrating! One issue that affects our deaf and hard of hearing population is the complete disregard by Flow as well as the lack of any advocacy by local organizations or the Cayman Islands government for the disabled that would require Flow to provide Closed Captioning service on key TV broadcasts. Not even our government does this on its own CIGTV! Even in Jamaica, you get sign language for specific government news service.
Many years ago, what was Cable & Wireless would sell special house phones for the hard of hearing. Now, you can’t even find special cell phones for the hard of hearing and elderly (with larger keys for better visual access).
I guess those of us in the category of hard of hearing and deaf are not worth the effort for our government or OfReg to do anything.
Tried to call UK passport office +44 300 105 0250 does not connect, other people tell me the same thing. Reported to flow by phone (because there is no fault reporting on their website anymore). Response was ‘try a landline’! Didn’t even want to know the number.
Who has a landline anymore lol?
CNS – please look at the fibre landings on the island they are in a terrible state, I’m suprised they have not broken or been broken. Anyone could disable the island so easily.
I saw a report that was sent to government about a year ago – they looked like they would break and second in those photos.
They might want to have a word with C3 as well.
And some of their employees and their records!
I truly hate Flow.
Local telecoms are generally terrible. The roaming rates with Digicel are hilarious, but at least I have few issues otherwise.
OfReg should call out Flow for fictitious roaming charges on people’s bills.
If only there was a well-established and highly-reliable satellite internet service that uses almost zero ground infrastructure
The continued deterioration of service and the reduction in local expertise resulting from outsourcing is not new and is not limited to the telecommunications sector. Just look at what is happening in the banking sector. This country is heading for disaster unless someone does something soon.
it’s simply too expensive to employ people here.
Starlink is available, or soon to be available, everywhere in the Caribbean other than Cayman and Cuba.
Outside of the Caribbean, it is coming to Bermuda in 2026.
Stop “protecting” consumers, OfReg, and let consumers make their own decisions. It is a relatively small purchase for a consumer.
Starlink availability map:
https://www.starlink.com/gb/map?srsltid=AfmBOoqHg-fh21AJ9r34HCfBGEpuXmDz2GtED9sxP5kxWUmiGay_H52c
Pro tip: there’s nothing on TV worth watching, that you can’t also get via app on iTV or other small web enabled setbox.
The problem with Flow TV is they have nobody in Grand Cayman responsible for this service.There is a firewall around their managment personnel and if you visit their H.O.Building all you get to see is the security guard. Now when you call 811 the fault # you get a bot which asks for your a/c number and then states you will receive a What’s Ap message when I’m calling from a landline, it then rings off.
Just have a look at the online voters registry and you can easily find out where their local head honchos live.
Basically, OFREG toothless once again. FLOW laughing at them all the way to Curacao, lol
Entropy. We see it all around us in all systems. This is what happens where little attention is paid to maintenance. Everything is circling the drain.
Try calling flow to report a issue or query something with your bill! Its a never ending cycle of robotic messages/instructions. The call centers are in other countries and the response time is dismal to say the least.
I’ve had TV issues where they keep giving me the wrong package and billing me excessively for MONTHS!!! I mean how hard is it to install the package you sold me on? Its truly a poorly run organisation.
Wrong Service Package? Or, a deceptive “Bait, then switch” Sales Strategy?
Ogreg is doing what flow should have been doing telling us where the problem exist but not one word poor customers service today on my Tv show up you are not untitled to these channels but I paid for them
Still not back and no word!
Time to switch, I know, it’s a total pain in the butt, but long-term it’s definitely worth it. The ABSOLUTE LACK OF ANY TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, is reason enough, but you really have to wonder about their monthly statements that have differing amounts EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH.
Your email bill is one amount, your text message is another amount and then yet one more different amount with the next message.
SAVE your time and just switch, I’m not saying the other company is perfect, but in comparison it’s AMAZING!
Switch to what? Another failed system?
I can relate…those statements vs. texts is the work of some crafty accounting.
Some people can’t switch because of where they live.
Move then.
Stupid!
The use of AI and outsourcing to the subcontinent adds even further to the impersonalization by service providers. I am suffering with continued uncertainty and repetitive requests for a/c number etc; even worse, their timelags: 2217 “I will now transfer you to hold for our next available agent. Thank you for your patience.” When did I get a reply? 2348 “Good day to you and a warm welcome to Flow, you have reached our Customer Care Department. You are chatting with Richard. I’ll be more than happy to assist you with your query today.” And there’s me thinking it’s nearly midnight- getting up to look for my account: 2359 “Dear customer, we value your time and appreciate your interest in our services. Due to inactivity, this session will be ended. We will be delighted to assist you if you have any further questions or needs.“
Logic need to get to the eastern districts FLOW is horrible.
I agree. We need another option. FLOW’s Customer Service & Telecomm Services are horrendous.
Logic seriously need to hurry make some moves eastward!
Hilarious that you think they are any better.
There should be financial penalties – payments as bill credits to the affected customers (not to OfReg) for service outages. This is common in the internet telecom industry for large users and is referred to as QoS. Otherwise it’s the middle finger to customers and OfReg.
Surely flow customers would not be charged for the downtime!
Flow can barely keep its lines hanging on the poles.
Telecom competition in Cayman didn’t result in better service. Just a bunch of other terrible providers.
Perfect time to vote for your favorite TV provider:
https://bestofcaymanislands.org/vote?mc_cid=e15c159f25&mc_eid=9196596ea4#
It’s me, I wouldn’t trust any of these worthless IPSs to provide me a stable video service. There are other ways if you know how set it up yourself. Besides it’s the same old situation as it was with Westar, half of the channels they provided they never had a broadcast licence for.
There you have it folks. A press release. Job done.
Further investigation or fines? Credits to customer accounts? Keep dreaming
I’ve been having Cable TV on-going issues as well. Folks, document the channels & programs affected, take pics of your TV and note the period (i.e. days) of loss services.
Also, send your complaints to OfReg if FLOW is non-compliant with properly prorating your bill and/or FLOW’s so-called “investigations of your proven complaints” still leave you with a questionable billing statement.
Just get yourself a firestick and iptv service provider and say goodbye to all the problems and hello to a new world of watching anything you could imagine.
Good sell!
LOL dream on!
I’ve been having Cable TV on-going issues as well. Folks, document the channels & programs affected, take pics of your TV and note the period (i.e. days) of loss services.
Also, send your complaints to OfReg if FLOW is non-compliant with properly prorating your bill and/or FLOW’s so-called “investigations of your proven complaints” still leave you with a questionable billing statement.
My FLOW TV Services has been down for the past 3 days. The 1st day I noticed the some channels were blacked-out, with an on-screen message prompt that read “No DRM License”[🤔???]. Now, all channels have disappeared, with not even a TV Program Guide option available.
3 days with no FLOW TV Services but the FLOW Accounts Department is busy sending Electronic Billing Statements & Disconnection Notices since the weekend, including SMS Messages regarding the same when they could have been alerting customers of the Company’s technical issues & providing regular updates on fixes.
Such a shame.
With all the power functions ‘ON’, my TV screen remains black.
I’m waiting to hear how they will fairly compensate customers, or discount (i.e. prorate) their account billings for the loss of services, without defiance.
‘…and customers should not be billed for services they are not receiving, which it will address directly with Flow.’
Took this long for OfReg to wake up!
18@2:49pm – Exactly! Flow’s customer service and billings are even worse than their technical services. Right about OfReg too.
About a year now, I switched everything to a local competitor and haven’t regretted it