LIME's 4G revolution
Published:Wednesday | May 18, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Reasserting itself as an aggressive competitor, LIME Caribbean confirmed last night that it would be building out a 4G network across a dozen Caribbean markets, a move insiders said would keep the company ahead of the curve as mobile consumers demand platforms to deploy video and data services at fast speeds.
LIME is investing US$80 million to upgrade its existing second generation or 2G networks in 12 of 14 markets.
Jamaica is excluded from the project.
Well-placed sources say the 3G network under construction here, which is still a work in progress, will be upgraded to an LTE platform at a later date.
The Bahamas, in which LIME gained a foothold just last month with its 51 per cent purchase of Bahamas Telecommunications Company, is also excluded from the 4G project.
LIME said last night that its 4G build out would begin in Grand Cayman this summer and phased across the Caribbean over an 18-month span.
The scope of the project puts it out in front of Digicel Group, whose 4G services extend to Cayman Islands and Jamaica only, and who, industry sources suggest, is getting ready to make announcements of its own regarding some of its Caribbean markets.
LIME, a subsidiary of London-based Cable and Wireless Communications Plc, is starting its roll-out in Grand Cayman.
The network upgrade project, which was due to be launched at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Grand Cayman last night, will see 4G becoming the platform for LIME's future network development, "as the protocols are fully compatible with the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology that will power mobile networks in the future," the company said in its statement.
"Our business has operated in the Caribbean for the past 140 years. We introduced the first telephone connections, the first Internet connections, the first mobile service and the first mobile TV service. Now we're spearheading the 4G revolution, enabling our customers to work, play and stay in constant contact while on the go," said LIME Caribbean CEO David Shaw.
"The experience for customers moving from 2G services to both EDGE and 4G will be like going from riding a bicycle to driving a Ferrari; you will feel the difference immediately. This is a massive step forward for mobile service in the Caribbean and LIME is pleased to drive the proliferation of advanced technology in the region."
enhanced data speeds
The company said the 4G platform will build on its existing HPSA+ technology.
The upgraded network will allow LIME customers, when in a 4G coverage area and with a suitable device, to enjoy enhanced data speeds and video chat with no dependency on WiFi, and access photos, apps, music, and other documents at faster speed, the company said.
Inside Jamaica, LIME so far completed 3G roll-outs in Kingston, Portmore, the Greater St Catherine area, and sections of Montego Bay, and is preparing to deploy service elsewhere on the north coast.
The 4G plan follows the February completion of LIME's undersea cable system that was built, in partnership with Telecomunicaciones Gran Caribe, at a cost of US$35 million and now connects Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic.
This puts LIME in a better position to go after corporate clients, analysts say.