The Hon. Minister Kelvar Darroux is disclosing that telephone service all over Dominica will soon be addressed.
Hon. Darroux recently returned from a regional Ministers of Telecoms meeting in St. Lucia.
Hon. Darroux says that a number one priority of the meeting was to make reliable telephone access available throughout the islands.
“The issue of broadband access has always been a concern for us. In Dominica, we still have our challenges. You will travel from Roseau to Portsmouth and if you’re using your phone, you’’ realise that at several points, the call will drop? Why is that happening? Why is there no service?
“In Mero which is below sea level, there are so many challenges to receive calls and use mobile data because of the broadband service which is available in the area. So we have given ECTEL to meet with the service providers to further develop their infrastructure as it relates to broadband. This is so the consumers can have readily-available broadband service from which they can benefit,” the Minister said.
Hon. Darroux notes however that ECTEL is working with service providers in the interest of both consumers and providers.
“We have asked ECTEL to discuss with the service providers coming to an amicable resolution as to how best to establish a level playing field for costs across the board-whether roaming charges or inter-carrier rates. We want costs that will be beneficial to both service providers and consumers.
ECTEL is the regulatory body for telecommunications in its Member States: Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Telecommunications Minister believes in the effectiveness of consumers monitoring their own broadband service.
“It has to be monitored and the consumer has to get what he is paying for,” he said.
Hon. Darroux reaffirmed that he takes his role to protect the rights of Dominican consumers very seriously.