LIME Cayman Acquires LTE-Suitable Spectrum

LIME Cayman Islands, the country’s leading mobile operator by subscribers, has won two of the three 700MHz spectrum blocks offered by telecoms regulator the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) following Decision 2013-1; the spectrum has been earmarked for the provision of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in the country. LIME has secured the spectrum blocks after winning a ‘beauty contest’ against rival cellco Digicel. In a press release, the watchdog announced that LIME was granted 2×24MHz frequency blocks in the 700MHz band as follows:

• Block B: 2×12MHz paired blocks in the 704MHz-710MHz/734MHz-740MHz band, and
• Block C: 2×12MHz paired blocks in the 710MHz-716MHz/740-746MHz band.

In its application, LIME Cayman Islands stated that the LTE network will provide coverage to 70% of the population by 30 November 2013, while the network footprint is set to increase to 90% of the population by the end of 2013. One month later (31 January 2014), the LTE coverage is expected to extend to 100% of the Grand Cayman population, although ‘there may be a few areas of the Sister Islands that might not be covered’, the telco noted. The ICTA has set a deadline of 7 August 2013 for LIME to file an application for license amendments, pay the relevant spectrum allocation fees and submit LTE network rollout time-frame.