OUR beefing up capacity to verify quality of local telecommunications services

Within the next few months, the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) will have the capacity to independently verify the quality of telecommunications services being provided to the public.

Telecoms Minister, Daryl Vaz, who made the announcement, disclosed that the utilities regulator is in the final stages of procuring equipment, “which will allow them to independently verify and impose the sanctions that are in the Act”.

Speaking in an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) yesterday, Vaz acknowledged that the development comes amid persistent complaints about mobile phone service, including dropped calls and calls being diverted directly to voicemail.

Need to maintain minimum standards

The minister declared, “there is a minimum quality of service level that has been established. I think the issue has been that the OUR has not had a way to independently verify the metrics,” admitting the service challenges predate the passage of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

Continuing, he remarked, “Melissa has made it worse, but what I can say is that the reports that I have from both Digicel and Flow is that by July of this year, they should be fully complete in the restoration from Melissa, with the alignment of the antennas and all the different things that they have had to do.

For Vaz restoration efforts alone will not solve all of the sector’s problems emphasizing, “I do believe that the equipment and the ability of the OUR to verify independently, and with their own equipment, the quality of service, will go a far way.”

The minister signalled broader changes ahead, including a review of the OUR’s structure, legislation and enforcement powers, pointing to the importance of increased competition in the market. He noted that Jamaica currently has two dominant telecommunications providers, while a third licensee has yet to fully roll out its services.

“I’m hoping that by later on this year, they will be in a position to do so. I do believe that competition will play a critical role in getting better quality service by telecoms,” Minister Vaz said in conclusion.