FLOW increases Cable Package prices - 19 channel removal on MNP, LNP Day as Summer of 2015 for Streaming and Downloading

Well, that didn't take long!!

FLOW, the Triple Play Provider of Cable Services that is owned by Telecom Provider LIME, has decided to increase the cost of its various cable, telephone and Internet services effective Monday June 1^st 2015 as reported in the article “FLOW Announces Price Increase”, published Wednesday May 13, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

As I'd predicted in my blog article entitled “49 Cable Providers told by @BCJamaica to remove 19 Cable Channels - VPN Streaming of Netflix and illegal DVD's as @FLOWja is expensive”, FLOW would have to increase the price of their Cable packages due to pressure for US Content Providers.

The forty nine (49) Cable Operators in Jamaica still have to remove some nineteen (19) Illegally broadcast Cable Channels by the end of May on Sunday May 31^st 2015.

Jamaica has no choice but to comply, as we along with other Caribbean Nations are on the USTR's (Office of the United States Trade Representative) watch lists as it relates to the use and rebroadcast of copyright content without remunerating the copyright holders and satellite theft from the US of A as reported in the article “Jamaica Cable-TV On US Watch List”, Published Monday May 11, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

FLOW increases Cable Package prices - BCJ Deadline to remove 19 illegal channels is MNP, LNP Day

Coincidentally, Sunday May 31^st 2015 is the day that  MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and LNP  (Landline Number Portability) come into effect for the Telecom Providers as pointed out in my blog article entitled “Minister Paulwell affirms MNP, LNP Coming May 31st 2015 - Why NPA TPPR, IXP Deadline and VoIP Registration herald MNP, LNP for NANP Number Ranges and Competition”.

You can still watch Cable TV, but eventually, another seventy nine (79) are slated to be blocked soon after Sunday May 31st 2015 as many of the Cable Operators have showed an unwillingness to pay money to the US Copyright holders on a regular basis, as they're not willing to sign agreements with the Jamaican Cable Operators as noted in the article “US Copyright Holders Reluctant To Enter Agreements With Local Cable Operators”, Published Thursday May 7, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Prompting many, including CVM TV personality Patria-Kay Aaron to state that now is a good time for local content producers to take advantage of the coming void in entertainment and produce Jamaica Content for Television Stations as noted in the article “Time For Local TV”, published Wednesday April 29, 2015, by Patria-Kay Aarons, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Already Digicel has launched Digicel Rising Stars early, as indicated by their YouTube video posted Tuesday May 12^th 2015 on their Digicel Jamaica YouTube Channel  as shown above. Possibly, they might be staging Digicel Rising Stars twice this year, as they usually launch in September of each Year. 

Apparently sensing the coming void, they’ve decided to start their promotional program early and reap the rewards of increased spending on Telecom Services associated with this time of year.

Summer of 2015 for Streaming and Downloading– Blessing in disguise, as many form of Entertainment other than Cable TV

So in terms of Entertainment Summer isn't looking so bad. As for me, I'm being a member of the Milk River Community in Milk River, Clarendon where we're all true Pirates of the Caribbean.

I've already begun downloading all of the Series and Movies to cover the entire Summer period as described in my MICO Wars Blog article entitled “How to download Free Music using Torrenting, Google Index Searches and YouTube to MP3 Converters”.

Being a reader, this also includes as many books as I can get, from Comic Books to as many Sci-Novels that I can find, be they in epub, *.pdf or audiobook format as noted in my MICO Wars Blog article entitled “How Jamaicans can download free Audiobooks without a Credit Card”.

Cable Blackout or no Blackout, this will not affect me in any way. I think if many Jamaican decided to find other ways to enjoy themselves other than sitting in front of the Television set, they'd realize that this is really a blessing in disguise, as there are so many other things to do than watch Cable TV.