2013 Caribbean - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in the Caribbean telecommunications market. The report analyses the mobile, internet, broadband and cable TV sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure;
Major players, revenues, subscribers;
Internet, VoIP, TV;
Mobile voice and data markets;
Broadband (FttH, DSL, cable TV, wireless);
Mobile subscribers and market developments;
Migration to LTE;
Broadband subscribers and market developments.

The countries covered in this report include:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, (the former) Netherlands Antilles, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United States Virgin Islands.

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- February 2014 (12th Edition)

Executive Summary

Digicel and CWC expand LTE footprint in the region

The telecoms markets in most Caribbean countries have been progressively liberalised, with operators able to offer a full range of telecom services. The telecom sector remains one of the region’s major growth industries, particularly in the mobile telephony and data sectors.

Cable & Wireless (operating services under the LIME brand) is the dominant telecom provider in most regional markets, with Digicel and other players offering effective competition, particularly in the mobile telephony sector. Investment in telecoms has been affected by the global financial crisis, as also by local phenomena which can weaken the tourist sector in particular islands. This has led to reduced revenue for operators and scaled-back government programmes. A number of economies have seen falling GDP during the last two years, exacerbated by poor weather, volcanic activity (in Montserrat), or a continuing downturn in trade for certain primary goods with major overseas markets.

This report analyses the telecom market in the Caribbean, including recent regulatory measures and statistics, telecom infrastructure updates and developments in key sectors including mobile, broadband and fixed-telephony. It provides data and analyses on fixed-line and mobile operators as well as ISPs, and assesses the state of market liberalisation.

Key developments:

UTS sells loss-making subsidiaries in Suriname and Saint Kitts & Nevis; TATT to launch an IXP in Trinidad by mid-2014; Caribbean Research and Education Network (CaribNET) network delivers connectivity to international research stations; Digicel switches on HSPA in the BVI, with 95% coverage; C&W invests $30 million in Cayman Island infrastructure; ECTEL updates schedule on release of 700MHz spectrum; Digicel expands LTE in Antigua; C&W sells Bermudan fixed-line business; Columbus International acquires Karib Cable; operators expand FttP in several markets; HSPA+ available in most countries, with LTE emerging as operators focus investment on mobile networks; regulatory developments; submarine cable infrastructure deployments; number portability; operator data updates; market developments to early 2014.

Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year

Table of Contents

1. Telecommunications Market Overview
- 1.1 Regulatory environment
  - 1.1.1 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
  - 1.1.2 Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)
  - 1.1.3 Telecom sector liberalisation
  - 1.1.4 Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO)
- 1.2 Major telecom operators in the Caribbean
  - 1.2.1 LIME (Cable & Wireless)
  - 1.2.2 Digicel
- 1.3 Telecommunications infrastructure
  - 1.3.1 Submarine cable systems
- 1.4 Broadband market
  - 1.4.1 Overview
- 1.5 Mobile communications
  - 1.5.1 Overview of mobile markets in the Caribbean
  - 1.5.2 Satellite mobile
2. Anguilla
3. Antigua and Barbuda
4. Aruba
5. Bahamas
- 5.1 Mobile
- 5.2 Internet
- 5.3 Submarine cables
6. Barbados
- 6.1 Market background
- 6.2 Mobile
- 6.3 Internet
7. Bermuda
- 7.1 Market background
- 7.2 Mobile
- 7.3 Internet
- 7.4 Smart grids
8. British Virgin Islands
- 8.1 Mobile services
9. Cayman Islands
10. Dominica
11. Grenada
12. Guadeloupe
13. Martinique
14. Montserrat
15. (The former) Netherlands Antilles
16. St Kitts and Nevis
17. St Lucia
18. St Vincent and the Grenadines
19. Trinidad and Tobago
20. Turks and Caicos
21. United States Virgin Islands

Table 1 – LIME financial data (Caribbean) – 2010 - 2013
Table 2 – LIME revenue by sector – 2010 - 2013
Table 3 – Digicel Group financial data – 2010 - 2013
Table 4 – Internet users and penetration rate in Caribbean countries – Jun 2012
Table 5 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers in select Caribbean countries – 2008 - 2012
Table 6 – Country data Anguilla – 2013
Table 7 – Country data Antigua and Barbuda – 2013
Table 8 – Country data Aruba – 2013
Table 9 – Country data Bahamas – 2013
Table 10 – Country data Barbados – 2013 (e)
Table 11 – Country data Bermuda – 2013
Table 12 – Country data British Virgin Islands – 2013
Table 13 – Country data Cayman Islands – 2013
Table 14 – Cayman Island subscribers by service – 2005 - 2012
Table 15 – Cayman Island penetration by service – 2005 - 2012
Table 16 – Country data Dominica – 2013
Table 17 – Country data Grenada – 2013
Table 18 – Country data Guadeloupe – 2013
Table 19 – Country data Martinique – 2013
Table 20 – Country data Montserrat – 2013
Table 21 – Country data Netherlands Antilles – 2013
Table 22 – Country data St Kitts and Nevis – 2013
Table 23 – Country data St Lucia – 2013
Table 24 – Country data St Vincent and the Grenadines – 2013
Table 25 – Country data Trinidad and Tobago – 2013
Table 26 – Trinidad and Tobago telecom subscribers by services – 2010 - 2013
Table 27 – Country data Turks and Caicos – 2013
Table 28 – Country data United States Virgin Islands – 2013