ECTEL Issues Warning To Digicel

CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – The St. Lucia-based Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) says, it has written to the Irish-owned telecommunications company, Digicel, warning against plans to implement its ad control technology.

The letter comes in response to a September 30, media release titled, “Digicel first operator to implement ad control technology to improve customer experience and help drive broadband access”.

Digicel said, that the press release had been brought to its attention by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC).

According to the release, Digicel intends to deploy an ad control technology at the network level across the globe, “to improve customer experience and encourage major international companies such as Google, Facebook and Yahoo to help connect 4.2 billion unconnected people.”

But ECTEL said, that while it is desirous of improving the experience of customers using the Internet and increasing penetration for broadband services in its member states, it “strongly opposes” the method being proposed by Digicel to achieve this objective.

In the letter, ECTEL reiterates an earlier position on Net Neutrality which states “that service providers should treat all data on the Internet the same, not intercepting, interrupting, blocking, degrading, discriminating or charging differentially…..”

It said, that interception of any communication without the consent of the receiving party, breaches the Telecommunications Act and amounts to a breach of the operator’s license.

“ECTEL is therefore advising Digicel to adhere to the stated principles of Net Neutrality and to refrain from deploying its ad control technology within ECTEL member states.

“ECTEL remains committed to promoting the up-take of broadband in its Member States and is of the view that the implementation of this technology by Digicel will hinder the growth, usage and deployment of broadband,” the letter added.