High cost internet in Barbados – report

Broadband service in Barbados continues to be among the most expensive in the world, with the country ranking as the 24th most costly for the service out of 220 countries last year.

According to the 2022 Global Broadband Price Comparison, the average package cost per month is US$106.54 (BDS$213.08), making the country the 6th most expensive in the region and the 4th most expensive in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Interim Executive Director of the Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network Maureen Holder told Barbados TODAY that while the issue of broadband prices has not been a hot topic for members, it was still an area the organisation was interested in examining further.

“We haven’t seen that report but it is something we are interested in. It is something we would offer some representation to our membership and certainly it is a red flag and a going concern,” said Holder.

The survey showed the African nation of Burundi as having the most expensive broadband in the world at a monthly cost of US$429.95, followed by Sierra Leone at US$316.39.

The cheapest broadband costs were reported for Syria at US$2.15, Sudan at US$4.80, Belarus US$7.39, Ukraine US$7.40 and Russia US$8.07.

The other countries in the Caribbean ranked more expensive than Barbados were the British Virgin Islands with a monthly cost of US$184; Turks and Caicos Islands at US$170.50; Haiti at US$169.58, the Cayman Islands at US$162.08 and St Maarten at US$141.67.

The most expensive broadband package that was measured in Barbados was for US$272.54, with the cheapest recorded at US$49.06. Eight different Barbados packages were examined.

The Caribbean is ranked the third most expensive region for Internet with an average cost of US$78.44. The most expensive was North America at US$89.44, followed by Oceania US$85.14.

“The Caribbean is a region of island nations where the average cost of fixed broadband tends to be high,” said the data, which was gathered and analysed by Cable.co.uk between January 19, 2022 and March 30, 2022.

“The average package price is US$78.44, with most countries featuring in the more expensive half of the table,” it added.

In its October 2020 report, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CARICOM Commission on the Economy called on regional leaders to redouble their efforts to bridge the digital divide. This, the commission said, should ensure “good digital educational content, affordable internet, low electricity and telecoms costs”.

The countries in the Caribbean with the cheapest broadband data cost for the year under review were Cuba with a monthly cost of US$21.68 and ranking at 46th globally; Grenada with monthly cost of US$36.63 and at 84th globally, and Jamaica averaging US$37.45 monthly and with a global rank of 86th.

“Island nations such as those in the Caribbean and Oceania continue to present problems when it comes to providing cheap, fast connectivity options. Those lucky enough to have an undersea cable running close by, tend to be able to offer it, where others have to lean into pricier hybrid satellite, 4G and/or WiMAX solutions,” according to the broadband market expert Cable.co.uk.

“It is hard to see how more affordable connectivity for the general population will be coming anytime soon to those countries at the bottom of the table, plagued as they are with limitations that are geographical and political, and where there is lack of desire in the marketplace for fixed-line broadband solutions,” it added.

At the start of last year a top official of Cable & Wireless Communications, the leading telecommunications provider in the Caribbean, called on regional governments to be more adaptive and review some fees to ensure consumers could benefit more from lower telecommunication costs.

While he did not single out internet costs, Vice President for the South Caribbean Kurleigh Prescod, made the call during the signing of the historic Declaration of St George’s towards the Reduction of Intra-CARICOM Roaming Charges, which paved the way for new fixed roaming charges in the region.

He said then that governments in CARICOM should re-examine the level of licence fees and universal service contributions, duties and taxes on network equipment and infrastructure to allow the telecoms company to pass on reductions to subscribers.

He had also pleaded for a relaxation in regulations especially relating to the contracting landline telephone market across the region, expressing concern about over-the-top service providers and calling for a more level playing field.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb