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Business View Caribbean
depending on demand. A classic example is the FM
band, which is pretty much full, because of the num-
ber of radio stations and because Jamaica is very hilly.
So, we have to grant companies which are island-wide
a range of frequencies to re-use to get full-population
coverage. So, there are certain bands where a limita-
tion will exist, just because of the frequencies avail-
able. Sometimes, this will be fixed that by advances in
technology. At one point FM relieved congestion in the
AM band; the next wave of radios will be digital radios,
which will use less bandwidth.”
BVM: Cellular telephone towers are owned by the
companies, themselves. Do you control their use?
McBean:
“When cellular companies are awarded a li-
cense, they have use of specific frequency bands, but
they have to tell us which portions of the bands they’re
using on particular towers. So, at all times, we retain
authority over what’s being broadcast in a specific way.
But, we manage that in collaboration with the users.
For example, our major cell companies have in excess
of a thousand towers. We don’t monitor every last one;
we do random monitoring. You work together with your
licensees. We also have a very sophisticated, state-of-
the-art monitoring system, which consists of both fixed
sites and two mobile vehicles that we can use for more
targeted investigations.”
BVM: Is there a proliferation of “pirates” in Jamaica
- unauthorized companies or people infringing upon
others’ bandwidths or frequencies?
McBean:
“Not so much. That is one reason why we
have the monitoring network. Maybe about a decade
ago, it was a major problem. Also, when international
calls were very expensive, there was an incentive for
people to engage in call bypass and use satellite and
other radio equipment to try and bring in international
calls, illegally. But we work closely with the security
forces in terms of seizing equipment and bringing peo-
ple before the courts because it’s a criminal offense.”
