Jamaica's OUR to acquire equipment for independent telecom service quality verification

Jamaica's telecommunications sector is set to see enhanced oversight as the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) prepares to independently verify the quality of services provided to the public. Within the next few months, the OUR will be equipped to measure service quality, a move that comes amid ongoing public dissatisfaction with mobile phone services, including dropped calls and calls being diverted directly to voicemail.

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which will allow them to independently verify and impose the sanctions that are in the Act

Daryl Vaz, Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, announced that the OUR is in the final stages of procuring the necessary equipment. This will enable the entity to "independently verify and impose the sanctions that are in the Act." Vaz highlighted that while a minimum quality of service level has been established, the OUR has lacked the means for independent verification of the metrics.

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There is a minimum quality of service level that has been established. I think the issue has been that the OUR has not had a way to independently verify the metrics

The service challenges have been exacerbated by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, although the issues predate the storm. Both major providers, Digicel and Flow, have reported that restoration efforts following the hurricane should be completed by July of this year. However, Vaz emphasized that restoration alone will not resolve all sector problems, underscoring the importance of the OUR's independent verification capabilities.

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Melissa has made it worse, but what I can say is that the reports that I have from both Digicel and Flow is that by July of this year, they should be fully complete in the restoration from Melissa, with the alignment of the antennas and all the different things that they have had to do

Looking ahead, Vaz also indicated broader reforms for the OUR, including a review of its structure, legislation, and enforcement powers. He stressed the critical role of increased competition in the market, noting that Jamaica currently has two dominant providers and a third licensee that has yet to fully launch its services. Vaz expressed hope that the third provider will commence operations later this year, believing that competition will be a key driver in achieving better quality telecommunications services for consumers.

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I do believe that the equipment and the ability of the OUR to verify independently, and with their own equipment, the quality of service, will go a far way