LIME (Cable & Wireless)
Encyclopedia
LIME, an acronym for 'Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment', is a communications provider owned by the British
based Cable & Wireless Communications
plc operating in Anguilla
, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados
, British Virgin Islands
, Cayman Islands
, Dominica
, Grenada
, Jamaica
, Montserrat
, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean
.
The company is formed from the integrated businesses of Cable & Wireless in the Caribbean which adopted the LIME name on 3 November 2008. LIME operates as the native incumbent telecommunications service providers in many of the islands where they reside and offer an array of services.
The company also operated mobile telecommunications under the bmobile brand from 2003 until rebranding them as LIME in 2008. Competitors include Digicel
(largest mobile competitor) and Columbus Communications
(brand name Flow).
Cable & Wireless Communications, LIME's parent company also owns a 49% share in TSTT
in Trinidad & Tobago.
bmobile won one of the three franchises to offer cellular telephone services in the British Virgin Islands
in 2007. However, rival operator Digicel
issued court proceedings against the British Virgin Islands regulator, arguing that he had acted improperly by imposing a limit of three licenses (one of which was awarded to a local Cable Television company and has not been exercised). bmobile was joined to the suit as an interested party. High Court Judge Rita Joseph-Olivetti found in favour of Digicel and quashed the original decision, which had been controversial. However, despite the court's ruling, Digicel has yet to be granted a license to operate in the Territory. Digicel lost separate proceedings against Cable and Wireless (as bmobile's parent company) in the English courts
, claiming that Cable & Wireless has unfairly stifled competition in several Caribbean jurisdictions. During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands
by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology.
In March 2010 the Cable & Wireless plc split into Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc and Cable & Wireless Communications
plc. LIME became a subsidiary of C&W Communications.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based Cable & Wireless Communications
Cable & Wireless Communications
Cable & Wireless plc demerged in 2010 into Cable & Wireless Communications and Cable & Wireless Worldwide. For the other former C&W plc business, see Cable & Wireless Worldwide...
plc operating in Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
, Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
, Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
The company is formed from the integrated businesses of Cable & Wireless in the Caribbean which adopted the LIME name on 3 November 2008. LIME operates as the native incumbent telecommunications service providers in many of the islands where they reside and offer an array of services.
The company also operated mobile telecommunications under the bmobile brand from 2003 until rebranding them as LIME in 2008. Competitors include Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
(largest mobile competitor) and Columbus Communications
Columbus Communications
Columbus Communications is a cable television and telecommunications company based in Freeport, Bahamas, serving markets in the Caribbean and Latin America....
(brand name Flow).
Cable & Wireless Communications, LIME's parent company also owns a 49% share in TSTT
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited is the largest telephone and Internet service provider in Trinidad and Tobago...
in Trinidad & Tobago.
Services
- International and domestic voice telephone services;
- Data/IP services such as ADSL, Frame, or ISDN;
- Mobile/Wireless services including BlackBerry;
- other services including satellite-based communications and television services for select countries.
Background
The history of Cable & Wireless' network build-out in the Caribbean region dates back to the 1880s. In recent times the West Indies unit has been considered 'key' in global revenue turnover.British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
in 2007. However, rival operator Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
issued court proceedings against the British Virgin Islands regulator, arguing that he had acted improperly by imposing a limit of three licenses (one of which was awarded to a local Cable Television company and has not been exercised). bmobile was joined to the suit as an interested party. High Court Judge Rita Joseph-Olivetti found in favour of Digicel and quashed the original decision, which had been controversial. However, despite the court's ruling, Digicel has yet to be granted a license to operate in the Territory. Digicel lost separate proceedings against Cable and Wireless (as bmobile's parent company) in the English courts
Courts of England and Wales
Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...
, claiming that Cable & Wireless has unfairly stifled competition in several Caribbean jurisdictions. During the intervening period, bmobile has obtained a virtual stranglehold on the cellular telecommunications market in the British Virgin Islands
Communications on the British Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:11,700 Telephones - mobile cellular:8,000 Telephone system:worldwide telephone servicegeneral assessment:worldwide telephone servicedomestic:NAinternational:...
by a combination of low prices and aggressive advertising, as well as significant investment in infrastructure and technology.
Cable & Wireless plc regional profits
In 2005 according to the 2005 Cable & Wireless plc annual report:- United Kingdom turnover: £1,602 million
- Caribbean turnover: £550 million
- Panama turnover: £257 million
- Macau turnover: £117 million
- Monaco Telecom turnover: £100 million
- Rest of the World turnover: £167 million
- Figures are from the financial report released to its shareholders the current listed financial breakdown for CWPLC is as formentioned by regional business segment.
In March 2010 the Cable & Wireless plc split into Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc and Cable & Wireless Communications
Cable & Wireless Communications
Cable & Wireless plc demerged in 2010 into Cable & Wireless Communications and Cable & Wireless Worldwide. For the other former C&W plc business, see Cable & Wireless Worldwide...
plc. LIME became a subsidiary of C&W Communications.