Say No to Metered Telephone Rates:
A fad worth discarding

If ever there was a good reason for the citizens of this little rock to resist the introduction of metered rates, it would be to keep Barbadian citizens competitive in an already expensive country.

There can be no doubt that this application by C&W is about a monopoly and not about competition because C&W has no competition with their landlines and all of the new cellular phone services still have to go through its competitor C&W to provide their services to Barbadians.

To argue that Cellular phones are metered and that this sets a precedent for metered rates across the board is fallacious. Landline telephones are primary means of communication. Those who have cellular phones use them as a timely alternative to the landline rather than as a main means of communications.

If this is a revenue neutral strategy, why have it? What are the benefits to the consumer? I don't think that we can dispute the benefits to C&W coffers, as metering is a well known strategy for increasing revenue, irrespective of what C&W would have us believe.

There are no benefits to consumers by this move and as a matter of fact there are numerous disadvantages. A close look at those countries in the Caribbean with metered rates will give us a good picture of the disadvantages we will incur.

In Trinidad and Jamaica for example, businesses do not allow customers to use their phones even if it may means a sale for the business. People in general keep their telephones under lock and key.

For the traveler, hotels piggy back on metered rates by adding charges way beyond the ordinary cost of telephone calls and guest house owners lock up their phones when they retire for the night.

Those with unlimited internet accounts are still disadvantaged since metered rates still restrict internet access, at a time when we are talking about closing the digital divide.

All these things and more will affect us. For example, our elderly and disabled who depend on telephones for companionship and as a lifeline in cases of emergency, will be seriously disadvantaged.

Families will be driven further apart over the use of metered telephones. People with miniscule incomes (especially pensioners) will be less able to budget if they do not have an unlimited account which will move from $28 to $48.

Nationally, Barbados will become a higher priced tourist destination than it is already. People trying to conduct business on the telephone will at times be faced with either putting down the telephone or pay for holding on.

Civil Society organisations use the telephone heavily and will now be faced with a higher bill, especially those that conduct business from the homes of their members, who are already volunteering their time and money to the social problems of this nation.

Worst of all is that metered rates will make Barbadians less competitive rather than more competitive, where competitiveness is a requirement under the CSME.

Under globalisation, communications and especially internet access will be even more crucial and like electricity and energy in general, when that goes up everything else go up too.

Within the context of globalisation the playing field is not level. Indeed, for this very reason, regional Civil Society Organisations are backing CARICOM governments who are arguing for differential treatment for small states, in some aspects of the WTO and FTAA.

The question is whether Barbadians are willing to pay for the fad of having metered rates. Compared to the countries with metered systems, our communications access is easy. With metered rates they will be under lock and key.

If ever Barbadians have an opportunity to set the playing field somewhat in our favour that time is now. This is the time to make your contribution to favourably positioning Barbados within the framework of the CSME and the negotiations under the FTAA and WTO, by objecting to this application from C&W.

BANGO therefore invites all CSOs and private citizens to meet at the BANGO office at #7, 4 th Avenue Belleville , on Wednesday 20 th August at 10 a.m. to team up and mount an objection on behalf of the citizens of Barbados , against the introduction of a metered telephone system.

Contact BANGO: e-mail admin@bango.org.bb