Roaming Charges to disappear; CARICOM initiates historic signing with Regional Telecoms Giants

By Dana Malcolm & Deandrea Hamilton

Staff Writer

#Grenada, March 3, 2022 – A declaration towards the reduction of roaming charges between CARICOM states has been signed.  The ceremony took place in Grenada, where it was led by Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell; Rodney Taylor, Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and joining virtually Hon Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados.

The Declaration of Saint George’s began with talks between the Grenadian prime minister and Digicel and Cable and Wireless in 2021, on February 23, 2022  a culmination of those talks resulted in an agreement which will begin to bring relief, stability and predictability to the regional marketplace within this year.

Antigua’s Information Minister and representative of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union Milford Nicholas spoke at the signing on behalf of the CTU, describing how important the deal was to the entirety of Caricom.

“In context, the goal of seamless or at least harmonized inter-Caribbean roaming has been an aspiration for almost two decades…it is gratifying to be able to be celebrating this significant progress.”

Chief architect of the arrangement, Dr. Mitchell brought a passionate address on the day.

“This declaration essentially means, that our citizens will have the options to use their mobile phones as they move freely within the single space at a reduced cost.   All citizens will be able to travel without the fear of incurring the normal exorbitant charges for voice and data usage as they conduct business and keep in touch with loved ones.   We firmly believe therefore, that this critical reduction in roaming charges will help drive digital commerce.”

From former CARICOM Chairman, Mia Mottley:  “From today my friends there really can be no turning back. We accept that the first stage of that journey is the commitment signed here by the telecom providers offering new roaming arrangements where the charges are substantially lower and more importantly capped at reasonable levels that are monthly commitments that most Caricom citizens can easily and equally afford,” she stated.

Vice President, South Caribbean at Cable and Wireless Communications, Kurleigh Prescod said he understands and appreciates the importance of a true Caribbean Single Market with cost effective, reliable connections.

Meanwhile, Director, Government Affairs of Digicel Group, Kieran Mulvey described the milestone as a new dawn of working together for Caribbean Governments and Telecommunication providers.  “I think these are important milestones and today represents a very significant milestone on the roadway towards achieving a single ICT Caribbean space,” he said.

The signing significantly reduces roaming charges for all in the CARICOM region with the aim to remove those charges and create a single Information and Communication  Technologies or ICT space and seamless Caribbean roaming for CARICOM nations in the future.