{"id":111,"date":"2011-02-01T07:30:26","date_gmt":"2011-02-01T12:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=111"},"modified":"2011-02-01T07:37:15","modified_gmt":"2011-02-01T12:37:15","slug":"we-have-achieved-lower-rates-and-improved-access-to-telecoms-services%e2%80%a6-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2011\/02\/we-have-achieved-lower-rates-and-improved-access-to-telecoms-services%e2%80%a6-now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"We have achieved lower rates and improved access to telecoms services\u2026 now what?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The state of telecoms in the Caribbean has changed drastically over the last 10 to 12 years. In most countries we now enjoy significantly lower rates, increased access to and better quality of services, but is that all we should expect? Where next should we set our horizons?<\/em><\/p>\n

In the mid- to late 1990s when many Caribbean countries were beginning to realign their economies from being primarily agriculture-based to promoting investment and services, it was realised that the then current state of telecoms was severely damaging to those efforts. To say service was bad would not do the situation justice. At the time, telecoms service was provided in exclusive monopoly environments, and some of the consequences included:<\/p>\n