DIGICEL IS HAILING a position by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ECTEL) that the proposed merger between Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus Communications Inc. (Columbus) is a matter of significant public interest for the region deserving of rigorous regulatory attention and diligent review.
In a statement issued yesterday, ECTEL announced its ‘deep concern’ in relation to the proposed transaction and the fact that the proposed merger could ‘potentially result in a negative impact on competition’ by ‘reducing choice for consumers of both services and service providers’.
ECTEL further noted that ‘increased monopolisation can erode the gains made by liberalisation’.
ECTEL went on to say that the proposed merger raises significant issues in terms of potential breaches of licences by both CWC and Columbus which had to be investigated thoroughly.
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