Telecom providers
The Authority for Digital Infrastucture (RDI) and the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) are jointly responsible for supervising telecom providers in the Caribbean Netherlands based on the Telecommunications Act BES (Wet Telecommunicatievoorzieningen).
The Authority for Digital Infrastucture (RDI) is responsible for issuing frequencies and supervising technical conditions associated with telecommunication infrastructure. RDI does this by awarding concessions for installing, maintaining and implementing telecommunication infrastructure. For questions on this front, please send an e-mail to BES@RDI.nl.
The ACM supervises compliance of the Decree general guidelines consession holders Wtv BES and is, if required, to settle disputes between telecom providers. Also ACM assigns numbers and supervises the use of numbers. For questions in this regard, please send an e-mail to: TelecomPostCN@acm.nl.
Concessions
A concession is a license by which the government transfers tasks associated with an economic activity or government responsibility (for example, road management) to the concession holder for a particular period of time.
Telecom providers need a concession if they want to install, maintain and operate a telecommunication infrastructure. This applies to providers of landline and internet services, as well as providers of mobile phone services. All awarded concessions are accompanied by certain obligations. For instance, providers must offer a number of services and certain rules must be complied with concerning the quality of the network. Concessions are issued for a period of 15 years.
The Authority for Digital Infrastucture has issued the following concessions:
Bonaire: | Landline | Mobile | Long-distance* |
Antilliano Por N.V. | X | X | |
Antelecom N.V. | X | X | |
Flamingo T.V. Bonaire B.V. | X | X | |
Telefonia Bonairiano (Telbo N.V.) | X | X | X |
Sint Eustatius: | |||
Sint Eustatius Telephone Company N.V. | X | X | X |
Antelecom N.V. | X | ||
Sint Maarten International Telecommunication Services N.V. | X | ||
Windward Islands Cellular Company N.V. | X | ||
Saba: | |||
Antelecom N.V. | X | ||
Saba Telephone Company N.V. | X | X | X |
Sint Maarten International Telecommunication Services N.V. | X | ||
Windward Islands Cellular Company N.V. | X |
*Long-distance concessions are for international phone communication.
Links:
Decree on designated telecommunication services BES
Telecommunication concession fees Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur BES 2015