The Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands has, in recent years, largely outsourced the work for the Caribbean Netherlands to Bureau Telecommunicatie en Post (BT&P) in Curaçao. From January 1, 2017 the agency takes all public tasks regarding the Telecommunications Act BES in its own hands, handled from the office on Bonaire.

Since the change of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius into ‘special municipalities’ of the Netherlands (Caribbean Netherlands), by October 2010, the Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands and the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) have been responsible for the execution and enforcement of the Telecommunications Act BES and the Postal Act BES.

To execute these tasks adequately an agreement was drawn up with BT&P, up until then the regulator for telecommunications and postal services for the Netherlands Antilles.

Since October 2010, in addition to its own tasks for Curacao, BT&P has carried out the operational affairs on the BES islands under the responsibility of the Radiocommunications Agency and ACM.

What will change?

The agreement expired on December 31st of 2016. Because the Radiocommunications Agency is now well established in the local situation, the Agency now executes the tasks itself. The office on Bonaire, including the monitoring station, was transferred to the Radiocommunications Agency. Also our local staff is now employed by the Dutch government.

Since January 1st, 2017 you can still go to the office at the Kaya Grandi 69 in Bonaire, telephone +(599) 717-3140 or mail to bes@agentschaptelecom.nl.

All activities continue as usual, only the support regarding financial, legal and policy issues will be done from the Netherlands, instead of Curacao. This also applies to the tasks to be done for ACM.

For the following tasks (among others) you can contact the employees in Bonaire:

• Requesting permission for use of frequencies;
• Information about which radio equipment you can use without authorization and which you cannot;
• Information on the import of radio equipment (customs);
• Submitting complaints about interference on or from radio equipment;
• Submitting complaints about the quality of the services provided by telecom operators.

The Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands has made good arrangements with BT&P to make the transition as smoothly as possible to the new situation. Both parties will do everything to prevent you from being hindered.

Future cooperation

The transition does not mean that the cooperation will end. The Radiocommunications Agency and BT&P will also work together after January 1st, 2017 on specific subjects. These include, for example, support in emergencies and having a “fallback” function for Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands. BT&P also maintains a role in the international coordination of frequency use in the region and to represent interests of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom in international conferences on radio frequencies.

In addition, the cooperation will also translate into knowledge sharing and development, including internships and cooperation in the development of policies and regulations.

(Source: Agentschap Telecom. BT&P publication period: 2017)