by Yves Ephraim

To say that Antigua and Barbuda’s internet offering is abysmal would be a generous criticism.

It is abysmal because of the high cost per bandwidth and the standard low bandwidth offerings.

Antigua and Barbuda has the highest internet cost and lowest service performance in the OECS.

Would you believe me when I say that government policy is to blame for this sorry state of affairs with the internet?

The government is adamant that they will not alter that policy since it is obligated to protect APUA which provides free telecom services to the government. It is said that such services would be too expensive if the government had to purchase them from the other service providers.

However, what our policymakers fail to recognize it that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”: what they fail to pay for directly, ultimately becomes the indirect bill for the taxpayer. The bill WILL be paid!

This week, I observed six Starlink installations on the western side of the Government House property.

I could not help but wonder why internet services could not have been provided from the state-owned, APUA Inet, which had a network point of presence no more than a stone’s throw away.

To me the presence of Starlink antennas was a show of no-confidence in APUA Inet by its own government.

Surely, CHOGM would have been a great time to showcase the successes of APUA Inet and its ability to deliver modern high speed internet connectivity.

Unfortunately, like everything else in this country, it is blatant contradictions like these that expose the actual truth of the state of affairs.

APUA Inet, is the only internet service provider in Antigua and Barbuda, allowed to offer high speed internet over fiber. They advertise bandwidth speeds up to 100Mbps.

All of the other providers like Digicel, Flow and our local ACT have been forbidden from deploying fiber in Antigua and Barbuda. Even between their exchanges and their base stations.

This government ban has constructively capped the highest bandwidth/speed that the other internet service providers can deliver to the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

So the next time you get frustrated with your Digicel or Flow internet service, blame your government!

As I previously mentioned, your government has consciously taken this policy stance to protect the state-owned APUA Inet at the expense of your wallet and your need for modern telecom services.

The effect of this restrictive government policy on the other internet service providers is tantamount to telling all of the car dealerships in October 2026, that they are only permitted to sell horse and buggies while the government-owned dealership is allowed to sell combustion engine and electric cars.

Obviously, no one in their right mind will purchase a horse and buggy as their main mode of transportation.

On second thought, with gas prices being what they are today, buying a horse and buggy may not be a bad idea after all.

I digressed.

Forcing the other dealerships to only sell horse and buggy, effectively guarantees business failure.

Putting aside the obvious conflict of interest for the government to be competing against the dealerships (taxpayers), this government policy is deliberately putting Digicel and Flow out of business.

This is unjust in my opinion.

You might say, so why should I care if Digicel and Flow go out of business?

And my response to you would be that if these service providers should go out of business, I can guarantee that Inet prices for internet services will go up and the service quality will plummet.

You do not have to like Digicel or Flow but having them around keeps prices in check, since having options diminishes the chance of an Inet monopoly emerging.

So how does Starlink fit into this picture?

During a recent run to the Airport, I could not miss the Starlink banners along the sides of airport roadway to the terminal.

Coincidently, I passed a vehicle on the same road with a temporary “Starlink” sticker plastered on the side of its driver’s door.

I surmised that Starlink might have been a sponsor of CHOGM.

Why was APUA Inet not capable of delivering internet services for CHOGM?

Why does it appear that this government has displaced Inet with Starlink?

Imagine that APUA cannot meet the demand of CHOGM, after all the taxpayer investments and the exclusivity given to it to deliver high speed data over fiber.

What does that imply about APUA Inet’s ability to meet the demands of our population of one hundred thousand people?

Be that as it may, the deployment of Starlink units in Antigua and Barbuda for a significant event such as CHOGM, has shed serious light on this government’s stewardship in the telecom sector.

After boasting the country’s high ranking on the human development index, the plethora of Starlink antennas littering the landscape of Antigua and Barbuda, outside of CHOGM, is a strong indictment on the failure of the government’s protectionist telecom policy.

I have used several fora to raise awareness of this il-informed policy of the government to prevent Digicel, Flow and others from using fiber optic technology, even between their main offices and their base stations.

This sector needs to be liberalized!

I know of no other OECS government putting such restrictions on service providers to limit their use of everyday, ubiquitous fiber technology.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda, in its effort to protect APUA Inet has made it grossly expensive and impossible for the other service providers to deliver high speed internet to the residents of this country.

The same Digicel and Flow offer high performance internet services to all of the other OECS islands at better prices.

Antigua and Barbuda is the exception.

Go figure!

Need I remind you that Antigua and Barbuda pays the highest prices per Megabyte?

I must admit, I thought that the government would have eased these restrictions after granting a licence to Starlink.

I thought wrong.

I am very disappointed that the government has decided to destroy Digicel and Flow who employ local individuals while supporting Starlink that does not provided any permanent local employment for even 5 persons.

What is more confounding it that this government has unwittingly exposed APUA Inet to competition by now allowing Starlink to pick off its high-end customers while committing APUA to the high recurring cost for access in an undersea cable project.

Reduced customers and increased expenses produces…..?

Talk about a government that keeps working against its own interests and national security!

I am appealing to all Antiguans and Barbudans to demand that their government liberalize the telecom industry, starting with the removal of the ban on the deployment of fiber by the other service providers to include Digicel, Flow, ACT, and any new entrant

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: OPINION: Why Starlink And Not Inet?.