In response to a list of questions from TechNews T&T seeking TSTT’s position on voice over IP services on their network, the company issued this statement…

In response to media enquiries, bmobile declines from offering any comment on Digicel’s decision to block VOIP service providers. It should be noted however that VOIP is an inescapable feature of modern telecommunications.

bmobile’s policy on the matter as far as use of VOIP on its mobile network is concerned, is that bmobile provides customers with a conduit to voice and data services. Customers pay a subscription fee for this access and once customers have bought data services from bmobile, customers determine how they wish to use their data.

VOIP essentially is data on the mobile network much like email, YouTube, social media or downloading apps and games. Two years ago bmobile built a large Wi-Fi network we call bzones to complement the 4G network. Over 50 bzones have been deployed throughout Trinidad and Tobago because bmobile did not want to enter the 4G market with a “one size fits all” approach.

These bzones are expansive Wi-Fi areas that bmobile customers can connect to and thereby conserve the data bundles they pay for. At the same time, by taking that traffic off of the 4G network, it allows other customers who chose to use their 4G data bundles, to do so without any inconvenience. In the end therefore each local mobile provider must decide, based on what it knows of the capabilities of its network, how to treat with customers using VOIP.