FLOW Launch of 5G Makes Cayman ‘Unicorn’ of Regional Telecom

By Stuart Wilson

A massive launch event was held by FLOW at the Compass Loft on Tuesday, 4th June to celebrate the introduction of 5G in the Cayman Islands, making the Island nation the first in the Caribbean to experience 5G connections.

The telecommunications and entertainment provider also rolled out their new bundle for customers referred to as “Flow Mania” at the event, which combines up to 1 Gigabit per second broadband speeds, unlimited mobile data and minutes and resilient ‘Wi-Fi-Back-up’ that ensures customers will be able stay online, even when there’s an internet or power outage.

The switching on of the first of FLOW’s 5G cell towers, ushers in the fifth generation of mobile technology across the Cayman Islands.

“Customers who take advantage of the Flow Mania bundle will not just benefit from the largest and most powerful wireless network on the Island but they will be the first ones to experience 5G mobile connections,” noted Susanna O’Sullivan, Vice President, North Caribbean, Flow.

The new market leading services are a quantum leap in the region, ushering the digital landscape of the Cayman Islands into an even richer and more transformative evolution than any other period over the nearly 50 years since the first phone call in the British Territory was made by John A. Cumber.

FLOW was previously known as Cable & Wireless (now the parent company), before rebranding to LIME and then FLOW and the company’s contribution to the development of Cayman’s global prominence in business, finance and social progressiveness has made them a partner in the Caymanian story.

From the introduction of cellphones in the early 1980s, to the introduction of 5G, the company has been at the forefront of some of the most important technological advancements the Islands have experienced; playing a pivotal role in its fully connected environment.

Representatives and early workers/contributors to Cable & Wireless, say the evolution of both the company and the Cayman Islands has blown them away.

Cable & Wireless CEO Ingrid Smidts said, “It’s not what we do but how we do it,” and explained that at the core of the company’s ethos are three guiding words: “Connect, Care and Commit”. She added that the company’s employees were the driving force behind their success and explained the importance of the new technology.

“Connectivity and fiber are essential and we want to have everyone on fiber. We are very serious about mobile and with 44 mobiles sites as well as 98% LTE coverage and 5G, the Cayman Islands are a ‘unicorn’,” she noted.

The launch of 5G has positioned the Cayman Islands as a global leader in telecommunications arena overnight and put the “Islands time forgot" on par with top countries in Europe and North America.

With regard to FLOW MANIA, Mrs. Smidts said customers are the most important part of what they do and noted that the company wants to make things more simple.

“An all-in-one value proposition is what customers truly demand,” she said, adding that the company is also committed to installing services within 24 hours.

FLOW has also introduced a 2h-hour, seven days per week dedicated local customer service contact centre.

FLOW’s WI-FI Back-Up delivers an unbreakable network for customers through a mobile SIM card that is integrated into the WI-FI modem. If a problem is encountered on the WI-FI network, the mobile network takes over seamlessly, noted representatives at the launch of FLOW MANIA.

“It means the all FLOW MANIA customers can easily continue, streaming, studying and much more, even if there is an outage with the modem or fiber optic network. We are also providing an optional battery back-up that ensures the modem remains online even during a power outage. This redundancy is especially important as we enter Hurricane Season,” noted Mrs.O’Sullivan.

A statement from Ingrid Smidts noted that the history introduction of 5G technology forms part of the company’s commitment to the national call for an agenda of accelerated digital transformation across all sectors and the local business community will invariably benefit from the increase in capacity, speed and overall reliability of the new network.

Cayman Islands Government Minister for Youth, Sports and Heritage the Honourable Isaac Rankine, who was also an employee of Cable & Wireless for 18 year said, “Celebrating the launch of 5G in the Cayman Islands is not just a luxury but a priority that will foster economic growth.

“Entrepreneurs will bring ideas to life, propelling the economy and community development.”

The launch of 5G services will also transform gaming and social interconnectivity, which may bode well for Cayman hosting international gaming events and other internet based activities.