Dear Editor,
Latest media reports indicate that the Flow merger is proceeding along.
As a consumer and business owner, who frankly needs reliable, efficient and inexpensive telecommunications services, I cannot say that I am pleased and seriously wonder who is looking out for our interest.
With Cable & Wireless paying over US$3 billion to buy its main competitor (Columbus/Flow), thereby taking on board fixed telephones, fixed broadband, and an all-island cable TV licence, we have very literally gone back to the dreadful monopolistic days of Cable & Wireless. It is as if the country is taking two steps backwards after taking one step forward a decade and a half ago. We are back to square one.
In other parts of the world, mergers can only proceed if they have no anti-competitive effect and the merging parties agree to conditions that allow competition to thrive. Why then the rush? I see where Barbados and St Lucia have gone the route of public consultations on the merger. And the United States and Europe are replete with examples of mergers that have gone through considerable public debate as people and their governments assess the bottom-line impact on consumers.
In our case, the merger must only be allowed if conditions are imposed that prevent the new Cable & Wireless monopoly from excluding competitors and raising prices. Since the Cable & Wireless mobile monopoly was broken by Digicel, mobile prices have decreased dramatically. Cable & Wireless cannot then be allowed to prevent competition for off-island capacity, fixed telephones, broadband and cable TV services.
I am praying that someone takes note of my appeal.
Devon Anderson
Kingston 5
andersondforlife@gmail.com
We are back to square one
-->
Latest media reports indicate that the Flow merger is proceeding along.
As a consumer and business owner, who frankly needs reliable, efficient and inexpensive telecommunications services, I cannot say that I am pleased and seriously wonder who is looking out for our interest.
With Cable & Wireless paying over US$3 billion to buy its main competitor (Columbus/Flow), thereby taking on board fixed telephones, fixed broadband, and an all-island cable TV licence, we have very literally gone back to the dreadful monopolistic days of Cable & Wireless. It is as if the country is taking two steps backwards after taking one step forward a decade and a half ago. We are back to square one.
In other parts of the world, mergers can only proceed if they have no anti-competitive effect and the merging parties agree to conditions that allow competition to thrive. Why then the rush? I see where Barbados and St Lucia have gone the route of public consultations on the merger. And the United States and Europe are replete with examples of mergers that have gone through considerable public debate as people and their governments assess the bottom-line impact on consumers.
In our case, the merger must only be allowed if conditions are imposed that prevent the new Cable & Wireless monopoly from excluding competitors and raising prices. Since the Cable & Wireless mobile monopoly was broken by Digicel, mobile prices have decreased dramatically. Cable & Wireless cannot then be allowed to prevent competition for off-island capacity, fixed telephones, broadband and cable TV services.
I am praying that someone takes note of my appeal.
Devon Anderson
Kingston 5
andersondforlife@gmail.com
We are back to square one
-->