However, in the 1990s, a local company called CCT Boatphone, which had previously provided radio boatphones to tourists on charter boats, expanded into cellular (mobile) telecommunications for land-based users.
The process was also criticised as cumbersome and slow, the initial deregulation having been announced in 2004, and taking no less than three years to come to fruition through delays in legislation and regulation. Although there have been no new entrants into the fixed line industry, the government issued three licences under the new regime to cellular telephone service providers.
Prior to 2006, in common with many other Caribbean countries, Cable & Wireless (Caribbean) had a statutory monopoly on telephone and other electronic communications services.
Negotiations between Cable & Wireless and CCT Boatphone led to a split of the monopolies, with Cable & Wireless retaining a monopoly over fixed line and internet services, and CCT Boatphone keeping a de facto monopoly over cellular telephones. In 2007 the government abolished the previously existing monopolies under an order made pursuant to the new legislation.
During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology. Digicel was finally granted a licence on 17 December 2007 and started operations in the BVI on 28 November 2008. ==References== British Virgin
During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology. Digicel was finally granted a licence on 17 December 2007 and started operations in the BVI on 28 November 2008. ==References== British Virgin
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