Barbados is one of the most developed countries in the Caribbean region, and has had a phone service in operation since 1884. Now over 120 years later it continues to be in forefront of telecoms and communication systems.
Whether you are visiting Barbados for pleasure or business you can now enjoy voice calls both locally within the island free of charge, and international voice calls at competitive rates.
Internet Access
The island also enjoys high-speed Internet access via DSL with transmission speeds up to 4Mbps. There is also wireless networking in place for hotels, homes and businesses.
In various locations island wide you can find a number of convenient Internet cafes.
The main Internet service providers on the island are:
- Caribsurf (a division of Cable and Wireless BET)
- Sunbeach Communications
- TeleBarbados
Cellular Phones
On the cellular side Blackberry is the leading wireless connectivity solution in Barbados, providing access to a wide range of applications on a single wireless device. It combines software with services to keep you in touch with the people, data and resources.
There are now a number of mobile service providers in the island, apart from Cable and Wireless. Mobile licenses were issued in March 2003 to:
- AT&T
- Digicel
- Sunbeach Communications
DSL Telephone Service
Homes in Barbados are now enjoying a new service called Netspeak, which provides subscribers with a dedicated telephone for overseas calls. This uses DSL technology and for a fixed fee each month callers get unlimited free calls worldwide.
History of Barbados Telecommunications
The telephone was first invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1875, and by 1884, The Barbados Telephone Company opened for business.
From as early as 1851 cables were being laid between the English Caribbean and the USA, which was then used as a telegraph service. By 1914 technology had moved on so that telephone calls could be placed via a wireless station in Barbados. This new technology threatened the cable companies who had invested heavily in the laying of cables, and so in 1929 the British Government merged the cable and wireless companies, which then became the Cable & Wireless project in 1934.
By 1935 the manual system that operated in Bridgetown, St. Lawrence, Speightstown and St. John was converted to an automatic system, which was housed at a new building in James Street, Bridgetown.
During World War II the need for telecommunications increased and so Barbados developed a high frequency radio facility, which became a key radio relay point in global telecommunications.
By the late 1960's the demand for telephone service had grown to a point that the automatic exchange in James Street was no longer able to cope and so on 22 October 1968, The Right Honourable Errol W. Barrow, then Prime Minister of Barbados officially opened the Windsor Lodge Complex, which is still the head office of Cable & Wireless in Barbados to this day.
In the 1970's satellites to aid communications were used, and Barbados built an Earth Station at Congor Bay in St. John, this enabled Cable & Wireless to have a fully operational international telephone-switching centre in Barbados, which was used for the entire Caribbean region.
By 1982 fibre optic cables were introduced in Barbados, again a first for the Caribbean region and by 1989 Digital Information Systems were introduced.
In 1991 technology across the world was exploding into new areas and this saw the formation of a cellular service being introduced. It was in 1995 that CaribSurf was launched linking Barbadians to the World Wide Web. This meant further investment and a major upgrade of the entire telecommunications systems, which included the installation of a new earth station at the Wildey Office, the installation of a new international gateway switch at Pegwell exchange and the landing of the Eastern Caribbean Fibre Cable System in Barbados.
Although Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited does still have the monopoly on the fixed line market, applications have been made to the Government for licenses to provide fixed line service. The Barbados Government encourages competition in this market and continues to seek liberalization in the industry.
On the 16th of October 2001 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Barbados Government and Cable & Wireless, which outlined conditions for Cable & Wireless to surrender it's exclusive licences as the only telephone service provider in Barbados by 2011.
Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited was established in 2002 with the amalgamation of 4 separate Cable and Wireless companies. These companies now fall under the one legal entity of Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited. They are:
- Cable and Wireless BET Limited
- Cable and Wireless BARTEL Limited
- Cable and Wireless Information Systems Limited
- Cable and Wireless Caribbean Cellular (Barbados) Limited
In August 2003 Global Services for Mobile (GSM) networks was introduced, meaning visitors to the island are able to use their mobile telephone from their home country.
Today Cable & Wireless deliver a full suite of telecommunication services and are up to date on the latest in technologies.
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