Rebranding & amalgamation
Four companies become one; introduction of internet services to the island

In 1991, BET and BARTEL established a 50:50 partnership in a cellular company called Barbados Communications Services Limited(BCS). In addition, the Government sold its interest in BARTEL and BET to Cable & Wireless ( West Indies ) Limited in 1991 in order to raise cash as the island faced severe economic conditions. By December 1991, Cable & Wireless BARTEL had established 80,662 exchange lines and a total of 118,775 stations and a fully digital network.

In 1995 BET launched CaribSurf, an Internet service linking Barbadians to the World Wide Web. The company also agreed that it would not prevent other players from offering competing Internet services. These providers were required however to resell services only over CWBET’s network. That year BET also upgraded the island’s international telecommunications services with the installation of a new earth station at the W'ildey Office, the installation of a new international gateway switch at Pegwell exchange and the landing of the Eastern Caribbean Fibre cable System in Barbados . BET had an investment in the cable system.

In August 1998, in keeping with the move by Cable & Wireless plc to strengthen the Cable & Wireless brand worldwide, BET and BARTEL - together with DIS and BCS, changed their names to respectively to:

  • Cable & Wireless BET Limited
  • Cable & Wireless BARTEL Limited
  • Cable & Wireless Information Systems Limited
  • Cable & Wireless Caribbean Cellular ( Barbados ) Limited

Effective 1st April 2002 , the four companies were amalgamated with the continuing company being called Cable & Wireless ( Barbados ) Limited. With its incorporation, the services previously provided by CWBET, CWBARTEL, CWIS and CWCC fell under a single legal entity for the first time.

The amalgamation was also driven by the global movement towards liberalization of telecommunications services and the Barbados Government’s clear indication that it wanted competition in the local telecommunications market.

Indeed the amalgamation was a key commitment in a Memorandum of Understanding dated 16 th October 2001 signed by Government and CWBET and CWBARTEL outlining the conditions under which C&W would surrender its exclusive licences ahead of its agreed termination date in 2011.

 

Back to top Back to top