Dear Editor,
It is good that finally some of us are seeing the light on how mergers can affect us.
Six American senators are urging the United States Government to reject the proposed merger between American corporate giants Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable. They, in short, told Attorney General Eric Holder and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler in a letter that: "We believe that Comcast-TWC's unmatched power in the telecommunications industry would lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and poorer quality services for Americans --inhibiting US consumers' ability to fully benefit from modern technologies and American businesses' capacity to innovate and compete on a global scale." This is just a little part of strong concerns in the US about the merger.
In Jamaica, we see where LIME and Flow are coming together, giving them a virtual monopoly on the landline and cable services. Who is looking out for the Jamaican consumer? We see where other Caribbean countries are at least debating the issue and have their relevant authorities take part in public consultations. Nothing of the sort in Jamaica, we are left on our own.
Flow is already notorious for having less than good customer service, earning it the recent tag #flowtooslow. And LIME, as every Jamaican knows, is Cable and Wireless rebranded.
We can do better. I, like other consumers, would love to see some intervention. What ever happened to good healthy competition that was so drummed up in the past?
William Donaldson
Ironshore, St James
jamdownfire@gmail.com
US merger vs Ja merger
-->
It is good that finally some of us are seeing the light on how mergers can affect us.
Six American senators are urging the United States Government to reject the proposed merger between American corporate giants Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable. They, in short, told Attorney General Eric Holder and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler in a letter that: "We believe that Comcast-TWC's unmatched power in the telecommunications industry would lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and poorer quality services for Americans --inhibiting US consumers' ability to fully benefit from modern technologies and American businesses' capacity to innovate and compete on a global scale." This is just a little part of strong concerns in the US about the merger.
In Jamaica, we see where LIME and Flow are coming together, giving them a virtual monopoly on the landline and cable services. Who is looking out for the Jamaican consumer? We see where other Caribbean countries are at least debating the issue and have their relevant authorities take part in public consultations. Nothing of the sort in Jamaica, we are left on our own.
Flow is already notorious for having less than good customer service, earning it the recent tag #flowtooslow. And LIME, as every Jamaican knows, is Cable and Wireless rebranded.
We can do better. I, like other consumers, would love to see some intervention. What ever happened to good healthy competition that was so drummed up in the past?
William Donaldson
Ironshore, St James
jamdownfire@gmail.com
US merger vs Ja merger
-->