"Their licences are coming up and I am trusting that the people at the TRC take this occasion to set some things right... we are continuing to pay some of the highest price points in the world," Skelton-Cline said on the Thursday, September 3, 2020, edition of his Honestly Speaking radio show on ZBVI 780 AM.

He said over the years, operators have offered various explanations for the poor delivery of services in the Territory; however, he said service remains dismal.

Poor services, high prices

"They have wonderful explanations as to why we are not getting signal... the fact of the matter is, we have poor telecommunication services in this country," Mr Skelton-Cline said.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) at a December 3, 2019, ‘BVI's Digital Economy Symposium’ said the services must improve in the Territory or new players would have to come.

“We understand the challenges our citizens and business community face with the reliability of internet service. We agree that it must be overcome, even if it means inviting new players into our market to improve broadband speeds for customers and lower prices," he said.

Hold feet to the fire

According to Skelton-Cline, "For a country that wants to go in or step into the future, either we are going to hold the existing operators' feet to the fire and force them to deliver the kind of services that is befitting of a 21st-century world, giving the price we pay."

The commentator said the alternative now is to find new players with diligent haste, given the current crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We just paying too much for such poor service. It's just pitiful and ridiculous," he said.