Hon Marlon A. Penn blames poor internet on liberalisation of telecoms
Many users of the internet services in the British Overseas Territory of the Virgin Islands agreed with the report and as of today April 9, 2018 there have been no improvements in internet services by the main three carriers or the issue of drop calls from cellular phones.
It’s liberalisation- Hon Penn
However, Junior Minister for Trade and Investment Promotion Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) claimed that the issue was caused by the liberalisation of the Telecommunications sector in the Virgin Islands (VI).
While speaking at the debate on the controversial Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency Bill 2018 last month, the Junior Minister stated that, “whatever laws have passed through this House, it is we who passed it through this House…We liberated the telecoms sector to a point where it cannot sustain itself, and now we complain about the service that we get. Those are decisions we made,” Hon Penn stated.
Many users and experts of internet and cellular phone service industry in the VI have rejected this notion and blamed the Government for lack of proper regulations, enforcement and a proper customer complaint mechanism against the three main carriers- Flow, CCT Global Communications and Digicel.
A fourth provider? Yes, No, Maybe so
Minister for Communications and Works Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) said last year he was tired of the poor internet services and had enough of talking and warned the providers that if they did not improve he would seek a fourth carrier into the Territory’s market.
However, Premier and Leader of Government business Dr The Honourable D, Orlando Smith (AL) contradicted another of his minister at a press conference earlier this year when he said “no more telecommunications providers will be allowed in the VI market.”
Meanwhile, the public it seems will have to endure high internet cost, poor services and drop calls around the islands for a long time.
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30 Responses to “Hon Marlon A. Penn blames poor internet on liberalisation of telecoms”
"Economic liberalization (or economic liberalisation) is the lessening of government regulations and restrictions in an economy in exchange for greater participation by private entities; the doctrine is associated with classical liberalism. Thus, liberalization in short is "the removal of controls" in order to encourage economic development.[1] It is also closely associated with neoliberalism.
Most high-income countries have pursued the path of economic liberalization in recent decades with the stated goal of maintaining or increasing their competitiveness as business environments. Liberalization policies include partial or full privatisation of government institutions and assets, greater labour market flexibility, lower tax rates for businesses, less restriction on both domestic and foreign capital, open markets, etc. In support of liberalization, ex British Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote that: "Success will go to those companies and countries which are swift to adapt, slow to complain, open and willing to change. The task of modern governments is to ensure that our countries can rise to this challenge."[2]
Wikepia.com"
Liberalisation generally means increased competition with better services and lower prices through competitive rates.
What has happened in the BVI is mass conspiracy by 3 providers to unashamedly and collectively fleece anyone using data in the territory.
The government, for whatever reasons, are clearly reluctant to bring regulation and consumer protection.