LIME endorses the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court against the Digicel and Claro merger by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) and supports the Commission’s position that the deal is anti-competitive. The FTC suit follows on legal action taken by LIME last year to compel the Commission to oppose the merger in the interest of Jamaican consumers.

LIME Jamaica’s Managing Director, Garry Sinclair said, “We fully support the FTC as we have always believed that the merger is detrimental to competition in the telecoms market and has the potential to reverse much of the gains of liberalisation. We also take note of the hurried and token rate adjustment by our remaining competitor — one of the defendants in the suit — as an aftermath of the FTC lawsuit, but this small gesture falls short of the decisive action needed to give consumers real relief in the harsh economic climate.”

“We are calling on the incoming government to push through the emergency telecoms legislation tabled at the last session of parliament and to act swiftly and decisively under that important legislation given the actions needed to protect Jamaican consumers,” he added.

LIME has been strongly advocating for lower calling rates and greater flexibility for Jamaican consumers which would be achieved through the combination of parity in the pricing of “on-net” and “off net” calling rates, lower mobile termination rates and local number portability.

Sinclair added, “We believe that lower rates and more flexibility are in the interest of all Jamaicans and it is now in the new Government’s hands to deliver.”