The introduction of a 4G mobile network to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman means that the Sister Islands will be on par with Grand Cayman when it comes to telecoms.
This comes in the wake of an announcement by LIME that it has upgraded its network in Cayman Brac to 4G, with Little Cayman set to be upgraded by the end of September.
This comes less than a month after the introduction of the new generation mobile network to Grand Cayman, after the Sister Islands had been lagging behind in telecommunications technology for years.
According to Tony Ritch, general manager of LIME Cayman Islands, the introduction of the network will represent a massive improvement over the mobile data network that had been available in the Sister Islands previously.
“The truth is that we failed to upgrade the Sister Islands network to provide EDGE over the last few years. Sister Islands customers have sent us a clear message, they pay the same fees as customers in Grand Cayman, so why should they be expected to contend with a less capable service,” said Mr. Ritch.
The demand was also driven by consumers travelling from Grand Cayman to the Sister Islands who wanted to see the same performance across all three Islands.
In terms of performance improvements, Mr. Ritch said the Sister Islands will see a change from the 32 to 50 kbps data rates customers there experienced with the old GPRS technology to the new 4G network’s 21 Mbps maximum speed.
Mr. Ritch said that the company aimed to provide 100 per cent coverage country-wide and not merely select areas that were likely to have the greatest demand for 4G in order to limit the infrastructure investment required.
“While the Sister Islands may not necessarily have the level of usage to stand on their own in terms of a typical return on investment case, LIME continues to play a key role in building an infrastructure for growth and we’re proud of our ability to help support the economic interests and possibilities there as well,” he said.
He went on to say that the same thinking influenced the decision to roll out 4G across all of Grand Cayman immediately, rather than do a phased rollout in selected districts only.
“One could consider withholding investments perhaps covering East End and North Side as well, but our customers expect a consistent experience and we aim to provide it. For us it’s about a proud history and a level of commitment that extends beyond a stand-alone investment case; we’re continuing to simply do what’s right for Cayman,” he said.
Mr. Ritch also admitted having a rather more personal reason for being especially proud of the rollout in Cayman Brac.
“This is the Island where I grew up so I am naturally quite proud to be delivering this service and setting another historic milestone for the Sister Islands,” he said.
LIME will host a 4G kick off party in Cayman Brac on Saturday, 24 September, at Kirkconnel Street in Stake Bay. The event will feature refreshments and fun events for the whole family as well as an opportunity to win various prizes. Customers will also have an opportunity to learn more about 4G and the various data plan options available.
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