Digicel, C&W support cell tower sharing in BVI

By L.K. Hewlett
Editor- SKNVibes.com

TORTOLA , B.V.I. – BOTH Digicel BVI Ltd. And Cable and Wireless BVI Ltd. have publicly stated that they support the government’s idea of sharing cell towers used to transmit and receive digital signal.

Minister of Communications and Works Hon. Julian Frazer convened a meeting last week with the territory’s three cellular phone service providers- CCT Global Communications, Cable and Wireless and Digicel- to resolve the issue of carriers erecting poles in ‘inappropriate places’ and the erection of multiple poles in the same areas. Also represented at the important summit were officials from Town & Country Planning and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).

Frazer referred to the multiple cell tower situation as a “wanton display or disregard of human health, safety and well being that should not be allowed to continue”. 

“The situation had become so chaotic that one company placed their poles on a basketball court within 10 feet of a private residence, another company placed their pole across the street, literally on the fence of the first company's property while yet a third pole had been erected less than 200 yards away from the other two,” he cited.

He then suggested that in order for liberalization to work in the territory and for community aesthetics and safety, the carriers had to share the structures.

Following the July 8th conference, Elford Parsons, Vice President of Customer Service for Cable and Wireless BVI issued a release which re-affirmed his company’s commitment to sharing its existing cellular phone towers with other mobile operators in the BVI.

“Cable & Wireless strongly supports and embraces the concept of tower sharing in an equitable and sustainable manner that protects the community and physical environment while ensuring that all benefit from competition in the telecommunications sector.

“Where possible, Cable & Wireless will share its existing towers with all mobile operators in the BVI so as to prevent the erection of additional towers - where this can be avoided through sharing.”

Alan Bates, Chief Executive Officer of Digicel BVI also notified the public of his company’s stance on the issue, announcing that they were already in negotiation with CCT to share existing towers.

“Digicel wholeheartedly supports the government as they seek to solve this problem. We’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that a minimum number of towers are built in the BVI. Digicel has followed every rule in submitting applications to the Town and Country Planning Department and we will continue to work with them to ensure that all of our sites are in compliance.

“Digicel encourages all operators to support the government as they seek to resolve this crisis. In that regard, all of our towers can support up to 3 operators and we encourage all operators to share our towers, which we can put up quickly, efficiently and within the rules. Where we have no towers, we will seek to co-locate. We are already in discussions with CCT to share 9 sites,” he stated.

The BVI government directed the carriers to share the cell towers following public outcry about the structures that were as tall as 100 ft popping up in abundance across the islands. Prior to charging them to share, government had first mandated that the carriers cease the erection of towers until a satisfactory solution could be reached.