MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are coming to
Jamaica!
The OUR (Office of
Utilities Regulations) has issued twelve (12) new mobile telecommunications
licenses for MVNO to enter Jamaica as reported in the article “OUR
auctioning up to 12 mobile licences, targeting virtual operators”,
published Sunday July 5, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.
They had placed ads
in the Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer as show below as well as on OUR’s Twitter Account linking to the
post on the OUR
Facebook Account.
Public
Notice re PUBLIC MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES (Amended advt) issued by the
OUR on July 12, 2015.... http://t.co/UVZIBVbm3P
—
The OUR Jamaica (@TheOURja) July
17, 2015
There is also a document on the OUR's website entitled “Notice
- Amended - PUBLIC MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES (MVNO) - July 12, 2015”
that is facsimile of the Newspaper ad that details the requirements needed to
become an MVNO in Jamaica.
It asks the potential bidders to put forward Proposals to specify
coverage area, launch dates for their service as well as their total planned
expenditure. Apparently, a previous RFP (Request for Proposals) back in Tuesday
June 12th 2007 had not been taken up.
MVNO RFP Offer –
Second Time may be a charm for VoIP Providers
So the OUR, as per Section 10 of the Telecommunications Act
of 2014, has decided to offer it again.
The aim is obvious; increase competition and options for
customer to quote the OUR's
CORPORATE BUSINESS PLAN & BUDGET: “The introduction of MVNOs is seen as
a natural progression in the facilitation of competition in the
telecommunications sector. Even that MVNOs tend to focus on niche markets, it
is believed that valueadded niche services are better handled by these
operators”.
This is especially needed now that MNP (Mobile Number
Portability) and LNP (Landline Number Portability) means customer can switch
Telecom Providers since Monday June 22nd 2015 as they have a mind as
noted in my blog
article entitled “MNP
and LNP delayed to Monday June 22nd 2015 - Technical Problem is Customer
Knowledge, Misdmatched Demographics and no Unlocked Quad-Band smartphones”.
 |
With many Jamaicans possessing Quad-band smartphones, more
choices in terms of Telecom Provider, setting up an MVNO is fairly easy for
those who qualify for a Telecom
License, as there is no Network Infrastructure to build!
Best of all, Telecom Provider Stand to benefit, especially
if the MVNO’s are VoIP Providers who Minister of Science, Technology, Energy
and Mining Philip Paulwell had stated should be licensed as explained in my blog article
entitled “Minister
Paulwell says VoIP Providers must Register to Terminate - Why WhatsApp may no
longer be Free as IXP by January 2015, MNP by May 2015”.
But will it work this time around?
OUR’s MVNO
Licenses – Telecom Providers to gain from Renting Access to competitors
MVNO's are basically Networks that rent access to another
Telecom Provider's Network Infrastructure. They use their cellular bandwidth
and the Telecom Operator's Network Features to provide their service to their
own branded feature phones as well as smartphones.
The most recent one, Google Fi, has many excited, as they
could potentially introduce their service to Jamaica. Google Fi that makes it
possible to use both Cellular and Wi-Fi Signals to make phone calls as reported
in my blog
article entitled “Google's
Project Fi Network – How @Google Fi's @Sprint and @TMobile MVNO will force @ATT
and @Verizon to join their VoLTE Forces”.
Currently here in Jamaica we have the following registered
Telecom Providers:
1. Digicel
2. LIME
3. Traille
Caribbean (never heard of 'em)
Traille Caribbean got their domestic mobile service provider
license in May 2013 and LIME will soon become FLOW, once they've got their
house in order as reported in my Geezam blog
article entitled “LIME
Jamaica Goes with the FLOW thanks to Caribbean-wide Survey”.
They might be interested in MVNO's as they can potentially
make money by renting access to their Telecom Network to MVNO's. The MVNO
License does not stipulate that they have to build out a Network.
MVNO are a source
of Product Innovation – Back to the Future for MVNO’s
According to a research paper on Telecommunications
competition published by the Dean of University of Technology's business school
Dr Paul Golding, a few actually existed or provided that service by 2007:
1. Gotel
Communications
2. MegaPhone
3. Peoples
Telecom
4. World
Phone
Back in 2006, the OUR
had issued licenses for MVNO's to CashPlus and their service MegaFone, who’s product
was in high demand in back in February 2007 as reported in the article “Valentine's
Day sparks rush for cell phones”, published Thursday, February 15, 2007 by
VAUGHN DAVIS, The Jamaica Observer.
Although their customer base, estimated back in 2007 to be
some 200,000, was small, their presence and competition, especially the Carlos
Hill owned MegaPhone helped to pollinate the idea of Free International calling
as described in my MICO Wars
blog entitled “How
to make Free International Calls to Landlines and Mobiles Anywhere in the World”.
This idea of free International calling exists with us today
in the form of International Calling Plans on both Digicel and LIME as
explained in my Geezam blog article
entitled “How
to set up an International Calling Plan for Digicel or LIME Prepaid and
Postpaid”.
So MVNO’s are not just about choice or getting VoIP
Provider’s to be licensed. It also has the potential to shake thing up a bit in
terms of Products and Services being offered to Jamaicans.
This potentially means Network Porting, now in effect since
Monday July 22nd 2015, a more common place affair!
OUR Timeline for
Regulations needed – Google Fi to make Network Neutral smartphone common
Strangely, the OUR
seems to be putting the Horse before the carriage yet again. There are
currently no regulations for MVNO's within the Telecommunications Act of 2014.
A timeline is yet to be formulated for the implementation of MVNO over the
period 2015 to 2018, specifically:
1. Licensing
2. MVNO
Network models
3. Regulations
4. Technical
Considerations
However, the OUR
seems to be in experimentation, as having little prior experience with their
formation, they need to see them in action, to quote the OUR's
CORPORATE BUSINESS PLAN & BUDGET: “This is the formulation of a system
to outline how Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) will be regulated. This
will address the rights and responsibilities of these virtual operators and
their interactions with facilitiesbased operators”.
I have no problem with this, especially as MVNO's such as
Google Fi would totally change the Telecoms Game in Jamaica. They would
potentially introduce Jamaicans to the idea of a Network Neutral smartphone i.e.
a cellphone that works on all Networks.
Ditto too the idea of VoIP Providers being MVNO’s in Jamaica
as reported in my blog article
entitled “Minister
Paulwell says VoIP Providers must Register to Terminate - Why WhatsApp may no
longer be Free as IXP by January 2015, MNP by May 2015”.
So, MVNO's anyone?!
Here’s the link:
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