CellOne & Digicel On Long Distance

CellOne has responded to Digicel, after the Company called CellOne’s recent decision to offer International Long Distance [ILD] a “legal back flip worthy of an Olympic athlete.:

Yesterday [Feb.16], Cable Co. released a statement saying it has launched a new International Long Distance service for CellOne’s mobile customers.

Digicel responded saying, “Digicel is very surprised at this move by CellOne, given the deafening howls of protest voiced publicly by CellOne to the very same type of service as launched by Digicel/Transact in September of last year.

“Indeed, CellOne played a leading role in the concerted and highly visible campaign of opposition to the Digicel/Transact service that was conducted among various telecommunications providers in Bermuda such as CellOne, TeleBermuda and North Rock. CellOne has today performed a legal back flip worthy of an Olympic athlete.

“However, CellOne’s former comrades in opposition to Digicel will undoubtedly be less than pleased at having been so ruthlessly abandoned. There will now be one less familiar face decrying Digicel’s actions.

“In addition to playing a central role in this vitriolic PR/Media campaign, CellOne have at all times refused to allow interconnection between CellOne and Digicel/Transact. This refusal was stated to be on the basis that the provision of direct dial ILD to mobile subscribers in this manner was unlawful and contrary to Government policy in Bermuda,” said the statement from Digicel.

In their statement today CellOne said that, ”Digicel continues to conveniently disregard the facts with regard to the ongoing ILD issue when making statements to the press and the general public.

“CellOne’s position has remained unchanged since this matter began in October of last year: that since 2004 mobile carriers have been prohibited by the Department of Telecommunications (“DOT”) to interconnect with Class C ISP’s for the provision of long distance services and furthermore the DOT has required that mobile carriers can only offer ILD through a Class A carrier such as TBI, Link Bermuda or Cable Co. Ltd.

“For the customer this may make little sense, but these have been the rules of the game. When asked by Transact, a Class C ISP, to provide interconnection CellOne simply replied that it could not do so until it obtained clarification from the DOT.

“Fulfilling the interconnection request would have meant CellOne operating outside of the terms of its own license and exposing itself to regulatory action from the DOT. It was Digicel, not CellOne, who then placed both parties into the courtroom in an attempt to force interconnection.

“The courts and the government have yet to confirm that Transact’s license permits them to offer ILD to mobile subscribers, hence the issue is currently before the Telecommunications Commission and CellOne patiently awaits a decision from the Minister responsible for Telecommunications.

“With regard to Cable Co. Ltd. and CellOne’s latest joint offering, Digicel once again seeks to confuse the public as both companies’ ILD products are indeed very different. The service being offered through CellOne is provided by Cable Co. Ltd. which is a Class A licensed carrier (as is TBI and Link Bermuda) and as such is permitted to offer ILD to mobile customers.

“On the other hand Digicel’s service is provided through Transact a Class C ISP carrier which until Digicel purchased the company last year had never provided ILD services to mobile customers. This is consistent with the operating practices of the island’s other ISP’s such as Northrock and Logic who to this day do not and cannot provide ILD to mobile subscribers because of license restrictions.

“CellOne regrets that this matter has created so much confusion for its customers and the public at large. Unfortunately Bermuda’s licensing regime has created a nonsensical marketplace where consumers are forced to purchase their telecommunication services from multiple carriers. CellOne continues to vigorously support regulatory reform which is long overdue and the benefits it will bring customers who after all should be our top priority,” concluded CellOne.

#BermudaBusiness #Digicel

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