Telecom minister announces major broadband upgrade plan in Dominica

Dominica is planning a ‘major broadband upgrade’, according to reports in the Caribbean Journal newspaper quoting the telecoms minister Kelvar Darroux. The minister says the broadband drive is being undertaken to ensure that reliable telephone access is available throughout the islands, noting that patchy broadband access is an ongoing concern to the administration. ‘In Dominica, we still have our challenges. You will travel from Roseau to Portsmouth and if you’re using your phone, you realise that at several points, the call will drop. Why is that happening? Why is there no service?’ he said. Details of the upgrade are sketchy at this point, with Darroux only able to say that once completed, consumers will have access to a ‘readily-available broadband service from which they can benefit’. As part of the strategy plan, the Dominican government has approached ECTEL, the regional regulator for Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines, to discuss how best to establish a level playing field for costs across the board – whether roaming charges or inter-carrier rates.