LIME (Cable & Wireless)

LIME

Industry	Mobile telecommunications
Founded	3 November 2008
Key people	Iran Campbell Jr (Chairman)
Owner	Cable & Wireless Communications
Slogan	"LIME. For Living. Everyday."
Website	www.lime.com

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.^[1]

The company 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.^[2]

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 and a 51% share in BaTelCo in The Bahamas.

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.

bmobile's headquarters in the BVI.

bmobile won one of the three franchises to offer cellular telephone services in the British Virgin Islands in 2007.^[3] 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,^[4] which had been controversial.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

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 (now a subsidiary of Vodafone) and Cable & Wireless Communications plc. LIME became a subsidiary of C&W Communications.

See also

• ECFS (cable system)

References

External links

• LIME
• Cable & Wireless Communications