When new telecoms market entrant Symbiote Investments Ltd, trading as Caricel, becomes operational, it will target the market for internet services — choosing what is currently the most robust segment of the market.

Internet services saw revenue growth of 94.26 per cent year over year, as indicated in the last report on the telecommunications sector provided by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) which, although one-year-old, offers some insight into market dynamics.

In second place — in terms of revenue growth — was mobile service with an increase of 51 per cent in revenue to $13.84 billion during the last quarter reported on.

The report indicates that revenue for fixed-call services is sinking and international calls also fell 31 per cent.

However, the area of internet services climbed 21 per cent during the January to March quarter of 2015.

Revenue for internet services climbed from $1.83 billion in the first quarter of 2014 to $3.57 billion in the first quarter of 2015.

Compared to this segment, fixed-call services declined by 10.28 per cent from $2.52 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2014 to $2.26 billon in the first quarter of 2015.

The growth area within internet services is mobile broadband WAP and mobile broadband, which at year end 2014 recorded 27 per cent improvement over the year before.

During the first quarter of last year, it registered 22.75 per cent growth in revenue over the similar quarter in 2014.

According to the OUR, mobile broadband penetration is only 39 per cent in Jamaica, leaving lots of room for growth. Even with fixed broadband included, total internet penetration is still significantly below the halfway point at 45 per cent.

Comparatively, general use of cellphones has now reached 109 per cent of the market. Only 9.33 per cent of the market uses fixed lines, according to the OUR.

New competitor Caricel has promised “cutting-edge technology, lightning fast broadband speeds”, but will go up against Digicel, which has extended its 3G network across the island and is looking to add LTE or 4G services in late 2016.

CWC, trading as Flow and recently acquired by Liberty Global, has launched its own LTE services and has embarked on a US$150-million investment programme.