Jamaican spectrum engineers headed to BVI under new regulatory partnership

TRELAWNY, Jamaica — Two telecommunications engineers from Jamaica's Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) are to be seconded to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of the British Virgin Islands (TRC BVI) under a new agreement aimed at building up spectrum operations across the BVI.

In a joint statement released Wednesday, the two regulators said the arrangement was unveiled during the 20th Conference of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), and pointed to it as a working example of how the region can pull together as demand for wireless services climbs, new technologies arrive, and operators move toward 5G.

The partnership was the subject of a joint presentation, "Strengthening Our Regional Connections: TRC British Virgin Islands and Spectrum Management Authority of Jamaica Collaboration", given on Tuesday at the conference. OOCUR is being hosted at the Ocean Coral Spring Convention Centre in Falmouth from April 27 to May 1, 2026.

Dr Maria Myers Hamilton, managing director of the SMA, and Guy Lester Malone, chief executive officer of the TRC, fronted the presentation. They explained that the secondment is designed to lift technical capacity in the BVI, sharpen monitoring and inspection work, and move expertise between the two agencies.

The release noted that the arrangement carries particular weight for small island developing states, which are wrestling with regulatory issues that are becoming harder to manage on their own.

"This partnership reflects the practical value of regional collaboration. By sharing technical expertise, strengthening institutional capacity and learning from each other's experiences, small island regulators can better prepare for the future of telecommunications and spectrum management," Hamilton said.

Malone added, "For small island states, harmonisation is not just beneficial; it is necessary. Our markets may be small, but our regulatory challenges are complex and increasingly interconnected. Collaboration with the SMA allows us to strengthen our technical capability while contributing to a broader Caribbean model for regulatory cooperation."

Among the outputs expected from the secondment are spectrum monitoring guidelines, field measurement reports, 5G readiness assessments, reviews of mobile network coverage and quality of service, training, knowledge transfer, and a closing set of recommendations to shape future regulatory decisions.