PRESS RELEASE
VALUE ADDED LICENCES
On Friday, May 12, 2006, the Government of Barbados issued nine Value Added Licences to TeleBarbados Inc.
The following is a description of each licence:
1. Virtual Private Network Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide virtual private network services over a Carrier's international switching and transmission facilities or the Internet access facilities of a Service Provider ("SP"), for the purpose of providing telecommunications (including voice and data) services.
2. Internet Exchange Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide Internet Exchange Services through the operation of an Internet exchange. The internet exchange shall be a physical interconnection site for the Licensee to link to the global Internet backbone and serves as a form of international transmission media. Such an exchange shall aggregate the Licensee's traffic before sending it via leased circuits to the Internet backbone in the United States of America or other overseas countries, thus reducing the need for each operator to set up its own direct links. The Internet Exchange may also act as a connection point for the exchange of local traffic between the Licensee and operators within Barbados.
3. Store and Forward Value-Added Services(Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide Store-and-Forward ("S&F") value-added services which may comprise the following two categories of services:
(a) Value-added data services - these are packet switched data services which convey end-to-end non-voice traffic by providing the value-added function of code and protocol conversion; or
(b) Value-added messaging services which include value-added S&F electronic messaging service, value-added S&F facsimile, value-added S&F telex (excluding telegram) and value-added S&F voice mail services that provide one or more of the following value-added S&F functions on a non real-time basis:
(i) deferred delivery;
(ii) multi-addressing;
(iii) content or format conversion such as text-to-fax, text-to-telex, text-to-voice, fax-to-telex, fax-to-voice, telex-to-voice or vice versa with or without change in content;
(iv) processing of control information (e.g. destination address) with or without modification to the content; or
(v) any other conversion that provides the users with additional, different or restructures information.
4. Backhaul Bandwidth Capacity Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to establish, install and maintain a telecommunications facility or system for the provision of any backhaul bandwidth capacity and connection services at Cable Landing Stations owned and operated by Carriers. All transmission capacity and facilities required for establishing and providing the backhaul bandwidth capacity and connection services must be leased from a Carrier.
5. International Simple Resale (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide International Simple Resale ("ISR") services being an alternative International Direct Dial ("IDD") service provided by the Licensee to customers using the international transmission facilities such as frame-relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode ("ATM") and leased circuits, owned by other Carriers. In the case of outgoing calls (originated from Barbados), the transmission facilities transfers the out-going calls to a line leased from any Carrier and then hands the calls over to a public telecommunications operator in any overseas country who will deliver the calls to their destinations. The provision of these services shall therefore involve breakout onto the public telecommunications network being carried on international transmission facilities, such as frame-relay, ATM and leased circuits.
6. Managed Data Network Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide Managed Data Network Services ("MDNS") being telecommunications services operated by a Service Provider ("SP") who, through the use of leased circuits subscribed from a Carrier or an SP licensed to resell leased circuit services, establishes and manages the services, circuits and networks for the conveyance of data and voice messages, on behalf of its customers. The MDNS provided by the Licensee under the terms and conditions of this Licence shall include at least one or more of the following types of features:
(a) co-ordination with telecommunications operators in the establishment and management of private circuits and networks;
(b) provision of circuit capacity or bandwidth upon customer demand;
(c) fault or traffic congestion monitoring;
(d) alternative routing provision for fault restoration or relief of traffic congestion; and
(e) a single point of contact for customers and a single bill.
7. Public Internet Access Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to establish, install and maintain a public Internet access facility or system to provide public Internet access services in Barbados.
8. Resale of Leased Circuit Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to provide resale of leased circuit services or to subscribe to leased circuit services from Carriers licensed by the Minister. The Licensee may either resell the services or use the leased circuits on a shared basis for the conveyance of its own telecommunications traffic.
9. Bandwidth Capacity Exchange Services (Individual) Licence
This Licence authorizes the Licensee to establish, install and maintain a telecommunications exchange facility or system, that is established over a Carrier's international or local transmission facilities, for delivering international or local telecommunications bandwidth capacity by facilitating buyers and sellers to enter bids and offers for bandwidth capacity offered in forms or platforms such as clear channel, frame relay, IP bandwidth, international circuit switched voice minutes or voice-over-IP. The facility or system established should include facilities for network monitoring, clearing and settlement of transactions.
