SVG final stop for ECTEL roadshow

St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) will be the next stop in the series of public education activities being mounted by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL).

Billed as the EC Bill roadshows, the activities will include presentations and discussions on the new draft Electronic Communications Bill (EC Bill) and accompanying new regulations. The new legislation has been developed by ECTEL to provide new tools to manage this changing sector.

While in SVG, the team from ECTEL will make a presentation to the members of the Cabinet tomorrow, Wednesday, May 17, to discuss the new draft EC Bill and accompanying new regulations. On Thursday, May 18, similar presentations will be made to civil society organizations, parliamentarians and telecommunications service providers.

When promulgated, the Electronic Communications (EC) Bill for the management of the electronic communications sector, will replace the Telecommunications Act. The new regulations address issues such as access to cable landing stations, consumer protection, retail pricing, wholesale access and guidelines on market access and assessment of significant market power.

The road show is a collaborative effort of ECTEL and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) of SVG. It will provide opportunities for the ECTEL team to further clarify the main provisions of the bill and accompanying regulations and for the regulatory team to respond to the key concerns from stakeholders, including service providers. Presentations of the legislation have been made to stakeholders in other ECTEL Member States.