Business View Caribbean - August/September 2018

88 89 l To build and maintain robust relation- ships with the communities; l To strengthen collaborative efforts be- tween and among existing partners; and l Licensing new users of the spectrum. There are various categories of radio systems that are licensed by the Authority, namely: l Terrestrial (land-based) radio systems - including fixed services (such as networks providing data transfer services) and mobile services (such as cellular services as well as 2-way radios); l Satellite systems - for large earth stations and VSATs (very small aperture terminals); l Maritime radio systems - these facilitate radio communication for ships, yachts, and boats; and, l Aeronautical radio systems - which facili- tate communication by airplanes and air-traf- fic controllers. The Authority also acts in a certifying capac- ity in respect of the following licenses: l Certificate of Competence in Radio Tele- phony/Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) – This certification authoriz- es the holder to carry out the radiotelephone service of any Ship Station; l Radio Technician License – There are two (2) classes for this category of license: Class “A” and Class “B” Licenses. A license issued un- der Class “A” category authorizes the Licensee to install and maintain radio transmitting ap- paratus; and, the Class “B” category authorizes the Licensee to install and maintain radio transmitting apparatus with a radio frequency power not exceeding 1,000 watts; and THE SPECTRUMMANAGEMENT AUTHORITY OF JAMAICA l Type Approval Certificate –This certifica- tion is issued to manufacturers of radio commu- nication equipment after the Authority ensures that it conforms to appropriate standards and principles of product safety and will not inter- fere with other equipment or networks. In facilitating the licensing process, the SMA conducts the following activities: l Technical analysis - to determine whether the spectrum is available, that is, whether it was ever assigned to anyone; l Monitoring of the frequency - to ensure that the frequency under review is free and clear, monitoring is conducted by the Band Planning Team; and l Validation of the frequency - the team validates the frequency being requested to ensure the proposed service for use of the band is aligned with the allocation for Ja- maica and by extension, aligned to the Radio Regulations governed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In the last five years, the world has ob- served a transformation in the demand for telecommunication services. As the global communications market develops, Jamaica continues to trend in the same direction, although not at the same rate. However, there continues to be an increasing demand for the spectrum over the years, as the number of us- ers increases and the variety of uses rises. As the demand for information, wherever, when- ever and on-the-go, surges, and the prolifera- tion of wireless devices escalates, so does the demand for the spectrum. Given these circumstances, there is an