Jamaica to enforce infrastructure sharing to bring in mobile competition
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Jamaica to enforce infrastructure sharing to bring in mobile competition

Digicel and CWC’s Lime are facing competition in Jamaica, one of their biggest markets, following a move by the government to bring new entrants into the country.

Phillip Paulwell, the science, technology, energy and mining minister, said he wants to introduce new regulations that will reduce the barriers to entry by new competitors into the market.

Jamaica’s Office of Utilities Regulation will require existing operators to share infrastructure, including cell towers, said Paulwell, reports Caribbean 360.

The Jamaican mobile market is shared between Digicel, which has its head office on the island, and Cable & Wireless Communications, which operates under the Lime brand and is subject to an agreed takeover bid by Liberty Global.

The minister and the OUR can make regulations, “which will mandate and provide the framework for new players to have full access to existing infrastructure”, Paulwell told the news site.

He added: “We want to see more investors, because more competition means lower price, better quality of service, and more access to broadband.”

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