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Jamaica's regulator promoting infrastructure sharing
[March 31, 2020]

Jamaica's regulator promoting infrastructure sharing


Sydney, April 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communication’s focus report on Jamaica outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets.
Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Jamaica-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Jamaica’s telecom sector remains propped up by the mobile sector, which accounts for 82% of internet connections as well as 88% of voice lines. It also accounts for the lion’s share of sector revenue. The merger between Digicel and Claro’s Jamaican business in 2012 strengthened Digicel’s position in the market. Both Digicel and its only rival, Flow (supported by its new owner Liberty Global), have extended their LTE networks across the island. Digicel during the year signed a sale and leaseback arrangement affecting a number of base stations, and launched its MyCash m-money service. The tower deal formed part of wider efforts to generate revenue as the Group seeks to cope with a debt pile which by early 2020 had reached some $6.8 billion. For its part, Liberty Global has taken complete control of its local unit, trading under the Flow Jamaica banner.

The regulator has endeavoured to develop the MVNO sector in a bid to improve competition. Although it had intended to licence up to 12 operators, only one licence was issued, to Symbiote Investments. This company launched Caricel Jamaica but at the end of 2018 the government revoked the company’s licenses, and in March 2020 several employees were charged with breaching terms of the Telecommunications Act.

This report contains overviews, analyses and statistics of the Jamaican fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets together with information on convergence issues and on the country’s fixed line incumbent and major mobile operators.

Key developments

  • Caricel employees charged with breaching Telecommunications Act;
  • ReadyNet trials satellite broadband services;
  • Digicel launches MyCash m-banking service;
  • Liberty Global extends ownership of C&W Jamaica;
  • Regulator consults on network sharing conditions for telcos;
  • Flow embarks on $150 million investment program in Jamaica, secures spectrum in the AWS band between 1710MHz and 2200MHz;
  • East-West cable between Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic augments capacity for data and telephony services;
  • IXP opened to improve domestic internet traffic flow and reduce costs;
  • Report update includes the regulator’s annual report for 2018/19, market updates to Q3 2019, operator data to Q4 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report

Columbus Communications, Digicel, Cable & Wireless, Flow, LIME, Liberty Global

Table of Contents

  • Key Statistics
  • Regional Market Comparison
    • Caribbean Telecom Maturity Index
    • TMI versus GDP
    • Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
    • Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
  • Country overview
  • Telecommunications market
    • Market analysis
  • Regulatory environment
    • Regulatory authorities
    • Fixed-line developments
      • Number Portability (NP)
      • Quality of Service (QoS)
      • Infrastructure sharing
      • Termination rates
    • Mobile network developments
      • Licences
      • 700MHz auction
      • 1710MHz and 2200MHz
      • MTRs
  • Mobile market
    • Introduction
    • Mobile statistics
    • Mobile broadband
    • Mobile infrastructure
      • 4G (LTE)
    • Major mobile operators
      • Digicel
      • Flow Jamaica
      • MVNOs
    • Mobile content and applications
      • M-banking
  • Fixed-line broadband market
    • Market analysis
    • Market analysis
    • Broadband statistics
    • Fixed-line broadband technologies
      • Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
      • Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
      • Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
      • Other fixed broadband services
  • Fixed network operators
  • Telecommunications infrastructure
    • Overview of the national telecom network
    • International infrastructure
      • Submarine cable networks
    • Smart infrastructure
  • Appendix – Historic data
  • Related reports




List of Tables


  • Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Jamaica – 2020 (e)
  • Table 2 – GDP developments - 2010 – 2020
  • Table 3 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2010 – 2025
  • Table 4 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers - 2010 – 2019
  • Table 5 – Decline in SMS traffic - 2015 – 2019
  • Table 6 – Development of mobile market revenue - 2014 – 2019
  • Table 7 – Development of mobile ARPU by service - 2013 – 2019
  • Table 8 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers - 2010 – 2025
  • Table 9 – Growth in the number of Flow Jamaica’s mobile subscribers – 2016 – 2019
  • Table 10 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2025
  • Table 11 – Internet market revenue - 2014 – 2019
  • Table 12 – Cable broadband subscribers - 2013 – 2017
  • Table 13 – DSL subscribers - 2013 – 2017
  • Table 14 – Growth in the number of Flow Jamaica’s fixed-line and broadband subscribers - 2016 – 2019
  • Table 15 – Growth in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2010 – 2025
  • Table 16 – Development of fixed-line voice revenue by service - 2014 – 2019
  • Table 17 – Fixed-line market revenue - 2014 – 2019
  • Table 18 – Development of fixed-line voice ARPU by service - 2014 – 2019
  • Table 19 – Increase in international internet bandwidth - 2010 – 2017
  • Table 20 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate - 2000 – 2009
  • Table 21 – Historic - Mobile prepaid and contract subscribers - 2007 – 2009
  • Table 22 – Historic - Mobile market share by operator - 2003 – 2015
  • Table 23 – Historic - Digicel Jamaica financial results – 2013 - 2015
  • Table 24 – Historic - Flow Jamaica revenue (old style)– 2015 – 2017
  • Table 25 – Historic - Internet users, penetration - 2000 – 2015
  • Table 26 – Historic – Dial-up internet subscribers – 2006 – 2016
  • Table 27 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2006 – 2009
  • Table 28 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2000 – 2009
  • Table 29 – Historic - International internet bandwidth - 2001 – 2009
  • Table 30 – Historic - Flow Jamaica revenue (new style)– 2016 – 2017

List of Charts

  • Chart 1 – Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index by country
  • Chart 2 – Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
  • Chart 3 – Caribbean mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
  • Chart 4 – Caribbean fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
  • Chart 5 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration - 2010 – 2025
  • Chart 6 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers - 2010 – 2019
  • Chart 7 – Decline in SMS traffic - 2015 – 2019
  • Chart 8 – Development of mobile ARPU by service - 2013 – 2019
  • Chart 9 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers - 2010 – 2025
  • Chart 10 – Growth in the number of Flow Jamaica’s mobile subscribers – 2016 – 2019
  • Chart 11 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2025
  • Chart 12 – Growth in the number of Flow Jamaica’s fixed-line and broadband subscribers - 2016 – 2019
  • Chart 13 – Growth in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2010 – 2025
  • Chart 14 – Development of fixed-line voice revenue by service - 2010 – 2025
  • Chart 15 – Development of fixed-line voice ARPU by service - 2014 – 2019

List of Exhibits

  • Exhibit 1 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
  • Exhibit 2 – Caribbean - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Select Country
  • Exhibit 3 – Jamaica’s e-Learning program
  • Exhibit 4 – Major submarine cable networks serving Jamaica

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Jamaica-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses

Nicolas Bombourg
[email protected]

Within Australia
(02) 8076 7665

Outside Australia
+44 207 097 1241

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