LIME, Digicel say no blocking of apps; NTRC says no complaints

Apollo Knights, director of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), said his agency has not received any formal complaints concerning the blocking of Over The Top (OTT) services here.{{more}}

Knights told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that he was aware of a release circulated by ECTEL (the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority), which states that some telecommunications providers have blocked or disrupted these services in Dominica, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

OTT services, also known as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), are services which allow the consumer to make calls without the service of, or payment to the telecommunications provider’s mobile network.

These services are found in popular “apps” such as Whatsapp, Viber and IMO.

The release further stated that the interception of any communication without the consent of the receiving party is a breach of the provisions of the operator’s licence, and that the action also contravenes national laws.

ECTEL said it is therefore appealing to all services providers operating within its Member States, to immediately refrain from the practice of blocking OTT services, websites and/or throttling speeds, and commit to the principle of an open Internet, as concluded through a public consultation conducted by ECTEL and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authorities (NTRAs) between 23rd September 2013 and 4th November 2013.

“No consumer has complained to us as yet; we are aware of the statement by ECTEL, but we are not in a position to comment on it,” Knights said.

“If a consumer has a complaint with their service, he or she must come in and fill out a complaint. This would be reviewed by the NTRC,” he added.

Knights said that it is illegal for a service provider to “intercept or disrupt any communication,” unless it affects the network, or it is ordered by the court.

Meanwhile, the two telecommunications providers here, Digicel and LIME, have responded to requests for comments on the issue.

Digicel said, in a statement issued today, that the company has been “following closely the comments and opinions of our valued customers in relation to VOIP services on our network, and pride ourselves on doing everything we can to ensure that we provide them with the best customer experience.”

It added that “we are working hard on an approach to VOIP services which takes into account and protects our customers’ interests, our business interests and our investments.”

In the statement Digicel also said it would be announcing what the approach would be, and asked for the patience and understanding of its customers.

LIME country manager Wayne Hull told SEARCHLIGHT that his company has not blocked any OTT service, and that LIME customers are “free to use which ever OTT service that they choose.

“They are free to do so once it is within the laws. We are complying with the net neutrality regulations set up by ECTEL. We have not submitted any request to block any services in any way,” Hull said.