BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-With Ireland-based Mossel Jamaica preparing to offer mobile communications competition to Cable & Wireless Jamaica early in the new year, negotiations on an interconnection agreement between the two networks appear stalled. Mossel Jamaica reported the fee proposed by the incumbent carrier is poles apart from its offer.
While both companies have declined to give details, Mossel’s Director of Regulatory Affairs Janet Li accused the British multinational of flexing its monopoly muscles and protecting its market. Cable & Wireless Jamaica President Errald Miller is on record as saying he wants public debate on the issue.
Mossel and Cellular One Caribbean were awarded separate cellular licenses valued at a total of US$100 million earlier this year in what was the first major move among Britain’s former Caribbean colonies to liberalize telecommunications markets.
Centennial Digital Jamaica, which in May acquired a controlling interest in the Cellular One Caribbean subsidiary-Paradise Wireless (Jamaica)-that won the second bid, was reported by the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper in August to be negotiating to use signal towers owned by Cable & Wireless Jamaica.
There were more than 143,000 Jamaican mobile cellular subscribers at the end of last year.
