KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesman on Telecommunications, Phillip Paulwell, is calling for the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to launch an investigation into the frequency of dropped calls and “persistent disruption” of data services being experienced by Jamaicans.

He said the problem, which consumers face daily, is an “unacceptable failure of the regulatory environment”.

Paulwell spoke to the issue on Tuesday as he made his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

He noted that consumers are paying premium rates for services that are not being delivered to the standard contracted.

“I call upon the Office of Utilities Regulation to address this matter with urgency, to report publicly on the corrective steps being taken and to examine whether a compensation mechanism can be introduced to provide Jamaican consumers with some measure of restitution for credits lost as a result of service failures,” Paulwell said.

Meanwhile, he also questioned the status of the new entrant into the cellular market, which he noted was mentioned four years ago by the Minister of Telecommunications, Daryl Vaz.

“We were informed that the requisite telecommunications and spectrum licences had been granted. This Parliament now requires a full and transparent update on the status of that commitment. Where is the new provider? When will Jamaican consumers see the benefit of that additional competition?” Paulwell questioned.

“We equally require confirmation that the policy on the sharing of telecommunications infrastructure is being implemented in practice. We had mandated a comprehensive co-location policy, and it is essential that this framework is genuinely accessible to new entrants into the market, not merely recorded on paper,” Paulwell added.

-Lynford Simpson