Following TV Debate, Thursday7 September...
Cable & Wirelesscalled "AnOutrage"
Dear Sir:
Please allow me to comment on the recent'Issues 27' programme on CITN, in which insult was added to injuryby the Cable & Wireless representatives who proceeded to blamethe Government for not negotiating their 'rebalancing' proposals.
It is not often that I have reason to agreewith Government ignoring something which affect the public soseverely but Cable & Wireless does not need Government's approvalto lower its rates, if this 'rebalancing' proposal was ignoredit probably was because it held no overall benefits for eitherthe people or the Government of the Cayman Islands, which infersthat it most likely was to Cable & Wireless' advantage.
In my naivety I previously assumed thatthe local management was not to be blamed for our present predicamentbut after hearing Mr. Tim Adam, the General Manager say with sucharrogance that as far as he was aware Net2phone and the otherblocked sites would not be restored, I realized that without competitionenforced by some higher power we will forever be at the mercyof this Company.
The highlight of the night in my view waswhen Cable & Wireless' Executive Vice President of PublicPolicy [EVPPP], Ms. Lisa Agard - looked squarely into the cameraand said that Cable & Wireless was compelled to block Net2phonebecause by allowing Net2Phone to be used over it's network itwould be in breach of it's contract with the Government of theCayman Islands and was in danger of losing it's franchise.
I am no lawyer but I am a country boy andI know what horse manure looks like and smells like. Miss Agardis to be congratulated on having achieved a level of condescensionthe likes of which I have rarely witnessed in a public forum.To top it off she had the gall to suggest that her most importantpriority in any negotiations with another provider of telecommunicationservices would be 'consumer protection'.
For sure, words and phrases like, "shockrate increases", "flash cut basis", "universalservice obligations" and "technology neutral regulations"which rolled smoothly off her tongue may confuse and dazzle asimple mind such as mine but even I know what "consumer protection"means and based on their actions and history, I seriously doubtif Cable & Wireless's EVPPP is very worried about protectingthe consumers of this country.
The suggestion that Cable & Wirelesswould have to downsize and retrench most of it's employees isnot realistic but even if it were factual, one cannot hold theentire country to ransom based on that possibility.
Many years ago I pointed out through themedia that Cable and Wireless charges a fee when an overseas callis made which was not answered at the other end. The charge isa one minute fee yet in their telephone book it states that chargesbegin when the remote telephone is answered. This was never addressedby the company, no refund was ever paid to the people of theseIslands or the Government of the Cayman Islands unless it wasbrought to the attention of the company on an individual callbasis.
Such is the arrogance of an unregulatedmonopoly. I remember a few years ago when 'call back services'were popular in Cayman, they were also blocked and the unfortunatewretches who were caught using they were humiliated by being forcedto apologize to the benevolent giant and were made to promisenever to do it again.
As far as I am aware, we as a people areonly obliged to follow the Law of the land. When cell phone servicewas introduced in Cayman, the technology was not new, it was awell researched and well developed technology elsewhere in theworld, however because of the haphazard way in which the cellsites were chosen and the poor choice of equipment, for yearswe had to tolerate cell phone calls which were regularly disconnectedright in the middle of Georgetown without there being any technicalproblems and service outside of Georgetown was patchy.
Cable & Wireless placed their cell siteswhere it was convenient for them and not where they should havebeen placed based on technical requirements. If this was doneby the "world class staff" Mr. Adam is boasting of thenI would have to place the blame for years of disgraceful cellservice squarely at the feet of management and not the Staff.
Our present Internet service is slow , Isuspect this is the case either because of Cable & Wireless'intent , equipment or lines and not my modem. This does not fitin well with the concept of "excellent service" providedby the Company.
Cable & Wireless makes millions in thiscountry yet they are unable or unwilling to provide a decent directoryservice which consistently and efficiently dispenses the requirednumber 24 hours a day. No one wants to hear their theme at thebeginning of each call to directory service; we want to hear anoperator's voice within a matter of a few seconds.
Where are the call boxes in Cayman? Manyhave been removed, instead they want to sell everyone a cell phonein case 'Charlie' calls during a hurricane. There is no doubtthat a telecommunications commission is needed in this countryto insist that the service that is paid for is delivered consistentlyand at a price consistent with other countries and with a qualitythat is state of the art.
It should consist of people of integritywho have no affiliation with any telecommunications provider.Care should be taken not to fill those positions with the 'goodold boys' around who have 10 similar positions and have neitherthe awareness, expertise or the time to devote to the task athand.
Lastly I would like to congratulate theChamber of Commerce on their well considered release. I urge allof you out there to sign the petition to the Governor not justto allow us to merrily yap over the internet like the rest ofthe world but to show the world that the Caymanian Public is readyto stand up for its rights.
It is interesting that two 'expatriates'have been at the forefront of this controversy, both of whom caneasily afford to pay their telephone bills without batting aneye.
On Issues 27 Mr. Adam was very fond of sayingthat this is not the United States and he is lucky that it isn'tbecause if it were he would have found himself and his EVPPP busilytestifying before Congress or giving account of his stewardshipin some very high court of law which is deciding the outcome ofa class action suite filed on behalf of the people of the UnitedStates.
A trusted friend once said to me "cockroachhave no business in cock fight", true, but how many of youout there consider yourselves to be cockroaches. This is an outrage.
Dr. Victor Look Loy