The territory’s four telecommunications providers all have recently renewed their unitary licences, allowing them to continue operating here for a second 15-year period subject to compliance assessments every five years, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission announced on Dec. 12.

The renewed licences were issued to BVI Cable TV Ltd; Cable & Wireless (BVI) Ltd., which operates Flow; Caribbean Cellular Telephone Ltd., which operates CCT; and Digicel (BVI) Limited.

“The licensees were first issued unitary licences in 2007, signaling the start of liberalisation in the Virgin Islands to create the circumstances necessary for a fully effective and successful telecommunications sector,” the TRC stated in a Tuesday press release. “Over the past 15 years, they have provided a variety of telecommunications services to the territory, which has seen the transition from basic telephony to data services.

“The importance of, and reliance on, data services were particularly noticed in enabling remote work and learning amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.”

 

Previous licences

The 2007 unitary licences — which each were issued for a 15-year period — permitted the providers to apply for renewal no fewer than 12 months before the expiration date.

The commission stated that it received a timely renewal application from each company and considered each application in accordance with relevant stipulations.

The renewed unitary licences have been issued for a 15-year period. However, new terms include a provision that allows the TRC to review each licence and carry out compliance assessments at five-year intervals, according to the regulator.

“This milestone represents a momentous occasion for the [TRC], being the first unitary licence renewal in the history of the territory and after a yearlong process which involved in-depth review of applications, allowance for public comments, public hearings, compliance evaluations, and the revision of the terms and condition of the unitary licences,” the regulator stated.

 

‘Persevered’

TRC CEO Guy Malone praised his team, which he said worked “diligently and persevered” to complete the renewal process.

TRC Chairman Vance Lewis added that the companies appeared ready to continue working hard to improve communications for the territory during the next 15 years.

More information on each new licence, including various conditions attached to each, can be found at the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s website, https://www.trc.vg/.