In recent weeks, Caribbean telecommunications and internet services have experienced some setbacks, which, to varying degrees, have affected the delivery of services to their customers. However, should we, as consumers, be actively exploring supplementing our existing internet service plans to better help us withstand some of the challenges experienced with our existing service?
Over the past few weeks, there have been some interesting developments in the Caribbean tech space that might have been overlooked but emphasise long-known truths about the state of the internet in the region. First, in the Cayman Islands, it was reported that on completion of an extensive investigation, the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) determined that Flow’s infrastructure was in a poor state. Safety concerns had not been addressed, there was a poor understanding of the management of cell towers and the associated risks, and the company had failed to comply with directions from the regulator. OfReg thus ordered Flow to undertake immediate remediation, including addressing the structural integrity of its towers.
Second, earlier this week, on Tuesday, 4 March, both Flow and Digicel in Jamaica experienced major internet service outages. The service disruption was reportedly due to acts of vandalism, specifically fibre optic cables being intentionally cut, which affected both residential and business customers across the country.
At the same time Jamaica was grappling with its outage, Digicel customers in Trinidad and Tobago were experiencing disruptions in the IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and mobile/cellular service. However, customers were assured that the problem was not in Trinidad and Tobago, but in Jamaica, where “’multiple major fibre breaks’ at the company’s international landing station” (Source: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday).
The above incidents are just the reports that made the news. It is well known that customers across the region have had longstanding complaints about telecommunications service quality, particularly the mobile/cellular and internet services. Network congestion, dropped calls, dropped internet connectivity, exceedingly slow transmission speeds, and unstable internet connectivity are among the challenges experienced. And though it could be argued that these incidents also occur in more developed countries and regions, it is likely the frequency is considerably less and, thus, is not as crippling to user productivity and the experience.
Could satellite internet be a solution?
In a completely different vein, Caribbean regulators have been grappling with how to license Starlink, the satellite internet constellation project developed by SpaceX. As was noted in our article, How much of a threat is Starlink to Caribbean telecoms markets?, “countries that are still challenged to provide reliable telecommunications services to their entire population”.
An important concern regulators have is the change in market dynamics that would occur if Starlink is licensed in their market. Starlink’s service is at a much lower price point for the speeds offered than the service provided by existing players, which, although could initially inject some competition back into the internet market, in the long term, a duopoly or monopoly could again emerge. Having said this, regulators in some Caribbean countries have licensed Starlink, and in others, citizens are using the service, although, officially, the company is not authorised to provide services in the country.
It must be emphasised that although might be receiving the most focus, other satellite internet providers exist. For example, Hughes Network System, ViaSat and Inmarsat are among the long-time players in the field, with Amazon’s Project Kuiper being one of the newer satellite internet initiatives. Hence, the precedent established with Starlink could have long-term repercussions.
Starlink was recently licensed to provide service in Belize and in the Cayman Islands, the OfReg has approved the sale of the terminals, though, in both countries, its operation is limited. In the case of Belize, the service is restricted to “emergency situations, areas that are unserved or underserved, and on vessels and aircraft under the Earth Station in Motion system” (Source: San Pedro Sun). Similarly, in the Cayman Islands, Starlink’s service can be used on Cayman Islands registered vessels or aircraft and in emergencies when no other service providers are available. However, “Day-to-day use of Starlink or other satellite-based voice or internet service providers is not currently licensed in the Cayman Islands” (Source: Cayman Compass).
So do you need backup internet service?
Possibly. To a considerable degree, it depends on how critical it is to have continuous and proper-functioning internet access. For example, in Jamaica, some people have both Digicel and Flow services at home or their offices, so the other could act as a failsafe should one of them fail. However, what is often overlooked is that although Digicel and Flow are licensed separately in the countries where they both have a presence, they do share infrastructure, especially that which facilitates international connectivity. As was mentioned earlier, the recent fibre optic cable damage occurred at the international landing station, and so both networks were adversely affected.
For people with significant connectivity sensitivity, meaning either that they cannot afford to be without internet access or need to have stable access, having a backup supply might be a worthwhile consideration. Satellite internet connectivity could be especially appropriate as it would not have the resiliency vulnerabilities our existing terrestrial providers have been experiencing.
Having said this, price also needs to be considered. Though satellite connectivity through Starlink, for example, might currently be cheaper than the service offered by local players, it is still an expense. Hence, the need for backup connectivity, which might be occasionally or rarely used, would need to be justified against the cost of the equipment and maintaining the service.
Images credit: Freepik; rawpixel.com (Freepik); zirconicusso (Freepik)
