Letter of the Day | Telecom providers must adapt

The EDITOR, Madam:

In the vibrant landscape of Jamaican broadband, the technological terrain is shifting underfoot. For decades, connectivity has been dominated by DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable internet, with the traditional telecom giants Flow and Digicel leading the charge.

Yet, despite some progress, the nation remains entrenched in this paradigm, without a true, nationwide rollout of Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services. The prohibitive costs associated with FTTH, along with a perceived lack of demand, have kept this more advanced infrastructure at bay (Jackson, 2024).

As the winds of change blow, the emergence of satellite broadband threatens to disrupt this equilibrium, and telecom providers must adapt. They must pivot, perhaps most compellingly by providing portable Wi-Fi hotspots to stave off the rising dominance of satellite services.

Companies like Starlink, ReadyNet, and Viasat have begun to make their mark on the island, marking key milestones over the past several years (Nyirady, 2019; Linton, 2023). The introduction of satellite-based internet from Viasat, in particular, paved the way for greater competition in the broadband market (Nyirady, 2019). And with Elon Musk’s Starlink recently obtaining licences to operate, the Jamaican internet landscape is about to undergo a seismic shift ( The Gleaner, 2022; Jamaica Observer, 2022).

LOOMING INCOMPATIBILITY

Yet, while satellite broadband services hold great promise, there is a gap that remains largely unfilled by traditional telecom providers. In Jamaica, mobile data plans are primarily designed for phones, not for portable Wi-Fi hotspots (Robinson, 2024). Although many people tether their phones to provide Wi-Fi for other devices, this solution is not without its drawbacks.

Prolonged use of a phone’s hotspot function can drain its battery quickly, shortening the device’s lifespan and causing frequent interruptions in connectivity (Gibbs, 2024). The demands placed on a phone’s battery from simultaneously connecting to cellular broadband and powering a Wi-Fi hotspot are considerable, leading to overheating and performance issues over time (Robinson, 2024).

Furthermore, as Jamaica transitions from SIM cards to eSIMs, the country’s telecom infrastructure is set for another wave of change. Flow’s recent decision to retire its 2G network, with Digicel poised to follow suit, will leave many existing Wi-Fi hotspots and other mobile devices obsolete, rendering unlocked, imported devices incompatible with the local network ( Loop News, 2024; Robinson, 2024). The looming incompatibility of these devices presents a clear opportunity for telecom providers to step in with localised, reliable alternatives.

The time is ripe for telecom providers to innovate, to bridge the gap between the old DSL/cable model and the new satellite era. Portable Wi-Fi hotspots, backed by affordable and reliable data plans, could well be the answer.

Jamaica is at a crossroads, and the decisions made now will shape its connectivity landscape for years to come.

L. H. DEER

Physics and Pure

Mathematics Teacher