Government freeze building of mobile cell sites on BVI

On July 4, 2008 the government of the BVI announced that construction of all cell sites in the territory should cease following an outcry by residents regarding the building of new towers once Digicel started to build out its network.

Residents expressed their concerns about the proximity of the towers to residential areas and schools in particular and the possibility of destroying the beauty of the landscape.

The government responded by saying that until the Telecommunications Act could be amended mandating all operators to share tower space, that all further cell tower building should cease.

Minister of Communications and Works Julian Fraser, speaking in a recent meeting of the House of Assembly, raised alarm about the proliferation of cellular towers in the territory with the advent of liberalization.

He said many people have complained to him as communications and works minister, to Premier Ralph O’Neal as minister for planning and to Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Dancia Penn. He said letters and petitions “are coming left, right and center”.

Fraser said the telecommunications industry has been allowed to act with relative impunity and that privilege was abused. “Something has to be done, Mr. Speaker, and it has to be done now,” he said.

Fraser said carriers have resorted to tactics only an experienced jurisdiction could have anticipated and they have found ways to keep portions of the monopoly they once enjoyed alive.

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