LIME’s thousands of landline customers in Barbados can continue to talk all they want for one fixed monthly price, at least for now.
That’s because top executives of the Cable & Wireless’ telecoms company say they do not plan to return to the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) any time soon to ask that customers pay according to the time they spend on the phone.
LIME’s last proposal to introduce a pay-per-use system for its landline customers was turned down by the FTC.
And Alex McDonald, LIME’s managing director, told the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday that while landlines were no longer the big money spinner for the company, he said they still represented “good business”.
“Right now we don’t have any plans for pay-per-use . . . . We do, however, want to add more value into our fixed line plant,” McDonald said.
At the same time, McDonald hinted that the days where people spent hours downloading movies from the Internet resulting in compromised data quality to other LIME customers, could be numbered.
He did not go into details but said the matter was being examined by the company.
The news came as LIME announced yesterday it was set to launch its 4G mobile technology as part of a $160 million investment to finance major improvements in its Caribbean mobile network.
During a ceremony at The Crane, St Philip, and a simultaneous one at the Ritz Carlton in Grand Cayman, it was announced that the network upgrade would enable LIME’s customers to access faster Internet and more sophisticated data services on their wireless devices.
The new 4G technology will be introduced in Grand Cayman in August followed by Barbados and then rolled out across the rest of the Caribbean where LIME operates.
To an audience that included several business executives, McDonald said the technology would provide them with freedom and flexibility to conduct business without being confined to the office.
McDonald added: “Last month, together with the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we announced a $1 million Wi-Fi investment that will stimulate and revitalize business, life and general vibrancy in The City and its environs.
“With this investment, Barbados will gain the distinction of having the first capital city and cruise port in the Caribbean with a ubiquitous Wi-Fi network in place.”
