Rock Mobile quietly preparing roll-out
Published:Sunday | June 20, 2021 | 12:07 AM
Rock Mobile, the newly crowned third mobile operator, continues to keep a low profile while it prepares to launch.
The company will seek to offer services to underserved communities, providing faster Internet connections, based on the bid it won.
“We are still working with the Government to document the award and are not in a position to say much more than that at this time,” said Rock Mobile co-founder Bruce Bowen. “As you know, the minister recently announced that we were the successful bidder for the 700Mhz spectrum package,” said Bowen, a Canadian and former banker who once managed Scotia Group Jamaica.
He is co-partner with his wife, Suzanne Fernando-Bowen, in Rock Mobile.
Most of Jamaica can receive fast Internet at around 90 per cent availability. This allows the bulk of consumers to stream movies on phones by way of fast 4th-generation technology, or 4G. The remaining 10 per cent utilise slower 3G speeds that are impractical for streaming movies and videos.
Last month, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz announced that Rock Mobile ad won the bid to supply mobile Internet access to rural areas. Rock needs to begin operations within 12 months and provide the communities this service within two years or face penalties.
The regulator of the airwaves, the Spectrum Management Authority, SMA, earlier this year put out a request for proposals aimed at providing increased broadband access to underserved areas. The licence was to provide 4G Internet across rural communities within the 700Mhz band. The proposal required investors to have access to J$2.25 billion to build out the infrastructure.
Digicel Jamaica and FLOW Jamaica are the other mobile operators.
Large carriers are assigned chunks of radio frequency, or spectrum, to operate. The SMA previously told the Financial Gleaner that the areas that need 4G access include parts of rural St James and Portland and St Catherine. These would likely be the focus areas for Rock Mobile.