Rock Connect service will launch by mid-to-late 2023

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica’s third mobile company, Rock Mobile, is close to completing the deployment of its 700MHz network, as places advances to kick start its mobile telephony operations.

The deployment of the network should be completed by the end of this month and test starting of the mobile operations to commence shortly thereafter. Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Daryl Vaz updated the Jamaican parliament last week on the planned roll out of the new mobile company.

He was speaking during the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament, which was combining through Jamaica’s three the one trillion national budget.

Rock Mobile was awarded spectrum in the 700MHz band in 2021. A full rollout of the company’s services was expected within two years but it was granted additional time due to pandemic and supply chain problems.

Last year, Nokia was selected by Rock Mobile to build its fixed-access wireless network, with the aim of covering 95% of the population by 2025. However, the mobile and broadband operator now claims that its Rock Connect service will launch by mid-to-late 2023.

The broadband service is aimed at areas where fibre is inaccessible and is lining up a B2B offering from early 2024.