Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will be the next stop in the series of public education activities held by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL).

Titled the EC Bill roadshows, the activities will include presentations and discussions on the new draft Electronic Communications Bill (EC Bill) and accompanying regulations. The new legislation has been developed by ECTEL to provide new tools to manage this changing sector.

While in Saint Vincent, the team from ECTEL will make a presentation to the members of the Cabinet of Ministers on May 17, to discuss the new draft EC Bill and accompanying regulations. On May 18, similar presentations will be made to civil society organizations, parliamentarians and telecommunications service providers. When promulgated, the Electronic Communications (EC) Bill for the management of the electronic communications sector, will replace the Telecommunications Act.

The new regulations address issues such as access to cable landing stations, consumer protection, retail pricing, wholesale access and guidelines on market access and assessment of significant market power.

The road show is a collaborative effort of ECTEL and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It will provide opportunities for the ECTEL team to further clarify the main provisions of the Bill and for the regulatory team to respond to key concerns from stakeholders, including service providers. Presentations of the legislation have been made to stakeholders in other ECTEL member states.