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VI may benefit from LTE spectrum until next year

- as according to TRCs Guy L. Malone, operators may need about 6 months to deliver services to customers after licence is granted
CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Guy L. Malone said that operators will need about six months from the time they receive their licence to deliver LTE services to customers but there needs to be consultation with industry players to determine when those services can be delivered. Photo: VINO
Digicel is among those seeking the award of the LTE spectrum. Photo: VINO
Digicel is among those seeking the award of the LTE spectrum. Photo: VINO
LIME is also seeking to be awarded the LTE spectrum. Photo: VINO/File
LIME is also seeking to be awarded the LTE spectrum. Photo: VINO/File
CCT Global Communications is seeking to offer LTE services. Photo: VINO/File
CCT Global Communications is seeking to offer LTE services. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Guy L. Malone said operators will need about six months from the time they receive their licence to deliver LTE services to customers but there needs to be consultation with industry players to determine when those services can be delivered.

He was speaking to this news site following a TRC video award presentation held yesterday July 1, 2015 at Maria’s by the Sea.

The TRC recently disclosed that it is expected to grant LTE licences in October 2015 which would facilitate improved internet services in the Virgin Islands.

“Following the issuing of licences in October, you have to take into consideration that you have to give the operators to a chance to build their LTE network with respect to the spectrum that they acquire from the process,” Malone said.

“You are looking at a minimum of six months. We haven’t decided yet what the timeframe will be. That will be done in consultation with the operators because each of them will have different views as to how long it would take or if they need to build extra towers et cetera.”

Malone further said that the three companies that are competing for the award of the LTE spectrum are CCT Global Communications, Digicel BVI and LIME. “They are now reviewing that draft consultation document and they would speak to us following which we will move on to the next phase; evaluating and coming up with the criteria [for the award of the spectrum],” he explained.

Public consultation launched

The TRC on Tuesday June 30, 2015 published a public consultation on the possible award of spectrum in the 450 MHz, 700 MHz, 1900 MHz, 1800MHz/2100 MHz/AWS-1 and 2500 MHz bands.

“Of particular importance are the 700 MHz, 1900 MHz and AWS-1 bands which are the main bands for 4G services in the Americas and Caribbean regions,” said a press release from the TRC.

It noted that the Spectrum Award 2015 project began on May 6, 2015 and that notice of the Consultation was first published on Saturday, June 13, 2015.

“The aim of the Spectrum Award is to provide the three mobile operators with frequencies they can use to deliver high speed mobile broadband services using LTE technology. The Commission believes this Spectrum Award 2015 will provide citizens, consumers, enterprises and visitors to the Virgin Islands with better quality broadband services in line with developments in North America, Europe and being implemented elsewhere in the Caribbean. The Commission is confident that the release and implementation of services will be of substantial benefit to the entire economy and particularly valuable to the financial services and tourism sectors,” the release said.

Process will be a competitive one

According to the release, the Commission expects there to be competition for this valuable spectrum. “In line with the Commission’s objectives to promote the economy, orderly and efficient use of spectrum, ensure fair competition, promote the public interest and implement and enforce the provisions of the Telecommunications Act; the Commission will allocate the relevant spectrum to operators who qualify to apply for the Spectrum Award through a competitive process,” it said.

It said that applications will be ranked by competitive evaluation against clear criteria, details of which Malone declined to disclose.

“The Commission believes this approach best meets its objective to promote the public interest by awarding spectrum to those operators that offer the most attractive services,” it said.

Responses to the Consultation on the Spectrum Award 2015 will be due on July 28, 2015 and the Commission expects to issue the formal Invitation to Apply and draft Frequency Authorisation in late August 2015, with Applications due by the end of September.

“Following and in accordance with the comparative evaluation, the Commission expects to grant relevant licences at the end of October 2015,” the release stated.

12 Responses to “VI may benefit from LTE spectrum until next year”

  • invest club (02/07/2015, 08:39) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Hope the ndp firm do not get special treatment as we remember what ronnie said
    • clown (02/07/2015, 16:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      why shouldn't they get special treatment. LIME & DIGICEL are multinational companies. CCT has been ready to deploy LTE a Year ago and still haven't been given the opportunity to do it. We complain about slow internet this and that butt when the local company is ready. They get held back. Utter nonsense
  • chad (02/07/2015, 09:02) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Notice Mark comments so I hope he is not getting in it to show preferential treatment. Just notice the radio announcement today that CCT will be sponsoring festival. Not in Road Town only but all three locations. Now we see the reason for early election. Let us wait and see what is coming next.
    • wize up (02/07/2015, 10:14) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ wow; this administration will channel lots of money in to these events by way of CCT... find out how much the ministry of culture will donate towards these "culture" events
  • wize up (02/07/2015, 10:08) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
    CCT should be given first preference; talk that: its a local business unlike LIME and Digicel: had the former minister listened, our territory will not have this issue; the market study advised only 2 Telecom companies can exist in our market yet the former minister allowed Digicel into our small market and who suffers the Virgin Islander business
    • @wize up (02/07/2015, 16:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The local Virgin Islander business may have taken a hit but ALL mobile customers of the Virgin Islands were liberated from the stranglehold CCT had us under!
  • @ wize up (02/07/2015, 12:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wize up chatting hogwash as usual
    • wize up (02/07/2015, 14:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ wize up; thanks because I have done worse than hogwash; so I thank you::::who's your daddy????
  • Music (02/07/2015, 13:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I dont understand this. Is he saying that the band with go to the highest bidder? Or do they all have to pay for the usage?. Do some get more space than others? I thought all of them already had 4g systems ready and waiting for the allocation, so there should be no delay.
  • wize up (02/07/2015, 14:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    so all of this talk from the telcoms Providers about 4G & LTE is hogwash!!!! I see billboards and promos speaking about LTE & 4G....how can the TRC allow this, because I have my phone set to LTE/4G now to understand no Telecom provider actually offers such services(TRC now working on assignments for such frequencies).. wat ah ting
  • voter (03/07/2015, 06:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    We already know that CCT (Investment Club) will get preferential treatment.


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