Presenting Author

PATRICIA ROBERTS-BROWN

Paper Type

Completed Research Paper

Abstract

During the late 1990s, Jamaica’s telecommunications industry was poised for growth with an increased demand for new telecommunication services. At this time however, there was only one player, Cable and Wireless Ja. Ltd, which had a monopoly licence until the year 2013. However, this licence was revoked in 1999, bringing new players to the market, such as Digicel and Claro which revolutionised the telecommunications market. The paper examines the effect of the liberalization of the telecommunications sector in Jamaica with the passing of the Telecommunications Act in 2000.It will discuss how liberalization has impacted the regulatory development of the Telecommunications market alongside the social and economic benefits derived by both consumers and the Government of Jamaica over the past ten years. It further looks at the merger of Digicel and Claro in 2011 and the possibility of there being the emergence of a new monopoly provider in the mobile market.

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The Legal and Socio-Economic Impact of the Liberalization of the Telecommunications Sector - The Jamaican Experience

During the late 1990s, Jamaica’s telecommunications industry was poised for growth with an increased demand for new telecommunication services. At this time however, there was only one player, Cable and Wireless Ja. Ltd, which had a monopoly licence until the year 2013. However, this licence was revoked in 1999, bringing new players to the market, such as Digicel and Claro which revolutionised the telecommunications market. The paper examines the effect of the liberalization of the telecommunications sector in Jamaica with the passing of the Telecommunications Act in 2000.It will discuss how liberalization has impacted the regulatory development of the Telecommunications market alongside the social and economic benefits derived by both consumers and the Government of Jamaica over the past ten years. It further looks at the merger of Digicel and Claro in 2011 and the possibility of there being the emergence of a new monopoly provider in the mobile market.