 
	/-------------------------------------------------------\			
				8-0-9
			  MCI PHEER PHACTOR
			
  		809 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS PRESENTS....
	\-------------------------------------------------------/
	greetz to: Bahamas Calling Card System,MCI,Cable&Wireless
		Francis Acosta (Head of Switching,Belize Telecom)
	Barclays Offshore Banking,International Data Proc (Nevis)
	Trinidad & Tobago Tourism and Codetel (Dominican Rep)
	
	haxxor greetz to:
	Redblade, GPI, _dave, Psyclone, Node8, Kuji, Polymorph
			hybrid and Shadow
	---------------------------------------------------------
		A GUIDE TO 809 THE CARIBBEAN PHONE SYSTEM	
		AND NUMBERING AND ROUTING ARRANGEMENTS
	---------------------------------------------------------
	........:Ver 1.2 for F41th and Echelon Magazine:.......
								
    "GaNjA sMoKiN sWiiTchMON, cAbLe and dA wIrEleSs jAmAicA lImIted"

INTRODUCTION
------------
Welcome to 809 mon! 

In my opinion, the Caribbean is one of the most interesting NPAs 
around. Mainly because it is international but also national, meaning
that technically it is an NPA like any other, but in real terms it
has far more autonomy than an "ordinary" number area.

For instance, many islands in this area have their own international
circuits and ground stations, meaning that calls to this area do not
all necessarily go through mainland US and some calls from South 
America end up entering the US via international gateways situated
in this area.

Call to numbers in the former 809 area from the US are considered to be 
international.

I aim to inform the reader of the details of the telephone system in
this area, and this would not be complete without giving Numbering Zone
5 a mention. The Caribbean is in fact split between Zone-1 (US) and
Zone-5. Zone-1 includes islands that are US-friendly, and most British
and European colonies. 

Caribbean countries in Zone-5 have either obtained their own IDC code 
by breaking away from Zone-1 or are nations that have a particular 
dislike of being in the US NPA, for political reasons mainly, which is 
why Cuba and Haiti are not in Zone-1.

Sometime in the near future, Trinidad and Tobago will obtain their own 
International Dialling Code. Trinidad and Tobagos' code will be +296
- Zone-2, as codes in Zone-5 have been used up. 

Until recently, the Caribbean was unified under NPA 809, with
exchanges assigned to the individual islands. Since then, the old 809
NPA has been divided into smaller NPAs, with most groups of islands 
being assigned their own NPA.

NPAs of the Caribbean and Exchanges
----------------------------------------------------------------|
|	ISLAND		|	NPA	|    EXCHANGES		|
----------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Anguilla	|	264	|497-2xxx  Valley	|
|                       |	  	|497-3xxx  Valley	|
|                       |      		|497-4xxx  Lopse	|
|                       |      		|497-6xxx  Sisal	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|  Antigua and Barbuda	|	268	|960 460 461 462 463 464|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Bahamas		|	242	|Andros		  369	|
|			|		|Bimini		  347	|                              
|			|		|Coopers Town	  362	|
|			|		|Deadman's Cay	  337	|                            
|			|		|Eight Mile Rock  348	|
|			|		|Eleuthera	  332	|
|			|		|Farmer's Hill	  338	|	                                                       
|			|		|Freeport	  349	|
|			|		|		  352	| 		
|			|		|		  353	| 
|			|		|		  673	|	 
|			|		|Fresh Creek	  368	|
|			|		|George Town	  336	|
|			|		|Green Turtle Cay 363	|
|			|		|Harbour Island	  333	|
|			|		|High Rock	  345	|                              
|			|		|Hope Town	  365	|                              
|			|		|Inagua		  339	|                             
|			|		|Lucaya		  373 	|
|			|		|Marsh Harbour	  367	|                              
|			|		|North Andros	  329	|                              
|			|		|Nassau	   	  322	| 
|			|		|		  323	| 
|			|		|		  324	| 
|			|		|		  325	| 
|			|		|		  326 	|
|			|		|		  327	| 
|			|		|		  328	| 
|			|		|		  344	|  
|                       |  		|		  354	| 
|			|		|		  355	| 
|			|		|		  348	| 
|			|		|		  392	| 
|			|		|		  393	|
|			|		|Marsh Harbour	  367	|
|		        |     		|North Andros	  329	|
|			|		|New Providence   321	| 
|			|		|		  356	|							  
|			|		|		  359	|
|			|		|		  361	| 
|			|		|		  364	|
|           		|		|Rock Sound	  334	|                              
|			|		|San Salvadore	  331	|                              
|			|		|Spanish Wells	  335	|                              
|			|		|Treasure Cay	  366	|                              
|			|		|West End	  346	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|			
|	Barbados	|	246	|Bridgetown 230 420 421	| 
|			|		|	    422 423 424	|
|			|		|	    425 426 427	|
|			|		|	    428 429 430	| 
|			|		|	    431 432 433	| 
|			|		|	    434 435 436	| 
|			|		|	    437 438 439	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Bermuda		|	441	|Devonshire 231 232 233	| 
|			|		|	    234 235 236	| 
|			|		|	    237 238 239	| 
|			|		|	    291 292 293	| 
|			|		|	    294 295 296	| 
|			|		|	    297 298 299	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|British Virgin Islands	|	284	|Road Town  	  494	|
|			|		|Long Swamp       495-2	|
|			|		|Little Apple Bay 495-4	|
|			|		|Virgin Gorda	  495-5	|
|			|		|Others		  496	|                              			
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|   Cayman Islands	|	345	|West Bay Road		|
|			|		|East Side 	  947	|                              
|			|		|Cayman Brac	  948	|                              
|			|		|George Town, 		|
|			|		|Grand Caym. 	  949	|
|			|		|Additional Exchange for|
|			|		|George Town and others	|
|			|		|		  946   |                         			
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|      Dominica		|	767	|Roseau	    445 446 447	| 
|			|   		|		448 449	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|   Domincan Republic	|	809	|Azua		    521	|                              
|			|		|Bani	 	    522	|
|                       |      		|Barahona	    524	|                              
|			|		|Boca Chica	    523	|                              
|			|		|Bonao		    525	|                              
|			|		|Constanza	    539	|                              
|			|		|Cotui		    585	|                              
|			|		|Elseibo	    552	|                              
|			|		|Guerra		    526	|                              
|			|		|Hato Mayor	    553	|                              
|			|		|Higuey		    554	|                              
|			|		|Imbert		    581	|                              
|			|		|La Romana	    556	|                              
|			|		|La Vega	    573	|                              
|			|		|Magua		    584	|                              
|			|		|La Matas de Farfan 536	|                              
|			|		|Moca		    578	|                              
|			|		|Monte Cristy	    579	|                              
|			|		|Neyba		    527	|                             
|			|		|Puerto Plata	    586	|                              
|			|		|Rio San Juan	    589	|                              
|			|		|Salcedo	    577	|                              
|			|		|Samana		    538	|                              
|			|		|Santiago Rodriguez 580	|                              
|			|		|Santiago	575 582	| 
|			|		|		583 587	|                  
|			|		|Santo Domingo	530 531	| 
|			|		|		532 533	| 
|			|		|		535 541	| 
|			|		|		542 543	|  
|			|		|		544 545	| 
|			|		|		546 547	| 
|			|		|		549 551	| 
|			|		|		560 561	|
|			|		|		562 563	| 
|			|		|		564 565	| 
|			|		|		566 567	| 
|			|		|		568 569	|
|			|		|		574 594	| 
|			|		|		595 596	| 
|			|		|		597 598	| 
|			|		|		682 685	|
|			|		|		686 687	| 
|			|		|		688 689	|
|			|		|San Juan de la Maguana |  
|			|		|		    557	|
|                       |      		|San Jose de Ocoa   558	|                              
|			|		|San Cristobal	    528	|                             
|			|		|San Francisco deMacoris|
|			|		|		    588	|                              
|			|		|San Pedro de Marcoris	|
|			|		|		    529	|                              
|			|		|Sosua		    571	|                              
|			|		|Valverde Mao	    572	|                              
|			|		|Villa Altagracia   559	|                              		
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Greneda		|	473	|Grenville	    442	|                              
|			|		|St Georges	440 441	| 
|			|		|		443 444 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Jamaica		|	876	|Annotto Bay	  996	|
|			|               |Balaclava	  963	|                             
|			|		|Black River	  965	|                           
|			|		|Brown's Town	  975	|                            
|			|		|Carlton	  968	|                              
|			|		|Central	  967	|                             
|			|		|Chapelton	  987	|                            
|			|		|Christiana	  964	|                              
|			|		|Discovery Bay	  973	|                           
|			|		|Duncans	  954	|                          
|			|		|Highgate	  992	|                          
|			|		|Irish Town	  943	|                              
|			|		|Kingston	493 921	| 
|			|		|		922 923	| 
|			|		|		924 925	| 
|			|		|		926 927	|	  						928 929 |
|			|		|		998	|
|			|		|Linstead	  985	|                              
|			|		|Lucea		  956	|                              
|			|		|Mandeville	  962	|                              
|			|		|May Pen	  986	|                              
|			|		|Montego Bay	951 952	| 
|			|		|		958	|                     
|			|		|Montrose	  977	|                              
|			|		|Morant Bay	  982	|                              
|			|		|Negril		  957	|                              
|			|		|Ocho Rios	  974	|                             
|			|		|Old Harbour	  983	|                           
|			|		|Pembroke	  969	|                              
|			|		|Port Antonio	  993	|                          
|			|		|Port Maria	  994	|                          
|			|		|Portmore	  988   |                    
|			|		|Red Hills	  944	|	                           
|			|		|Rose Hall	  953	|                            
|			|		|Santa Cruz	  966	|                              
|			|		|Savanna - La Mar 955   |                         
|			|		|Spanish Town	  984	|                            
|			|		|St Ann's Bay	  972	|                            
|			|		|Stony Hill	  942	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|Montserrat 		|	664	|All points	  491	|
|(British. West Indies) |	     	|			|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	Puerto Rico	|	787	|Adjuntas	  829	|                             
|			|		|Aguadilla	882 891	|                          
|			|		|Aguas Buenas	  732	|                             
|			|		|Aibonito	  735	|                              
|			|		|Anasco		  826	|                              
|			|		|Aquada		252 868	|                          
|			|		|Aquirre	  853	|
|			|		|Arecibo	878 879 |
|			|		|		880	|
|			|		|Arroyo Patillas  839	|                              
|			|		|Barceloneta	  846	|                              
|			|		|Barranquitas	  857	|                              
|			|		|Bayamon	251 730	| 
|			|		|		740 780	| 
|			|		|		785 786	| 
|			|		|		787 797	|  
|                       |		|		798 799	|
|			|		|Cabo Rojo	255 851	|                          
|			|		|Caguas		258 743	| 
|			|		|		744 745	| 
|			|		|		746 747	|         
|			|		|Camuy Hotillo  262 820	| 
|			|		|		898	|                      
|			|		|Candvanas	  256	|                              
|			|		|Caparra	380 381	| 
|			|		|		382 383	| 
|			|		|		384 385	| 
|			|		|		386 387	|
|			|		|		388 389	| 
|			|		|		390 391	| 
|			|		|		394 395	| 
|			|		|		396 397	|
|			|		|		398 399	|
|			|		|Carolina	250 750	| 
|			|		|		752 757	|	
|			|		|		762 768	| 
|			|		|		769	|     
|			|		|Catano		784 788	|                          
|			|		|Cayey		263 738	|                        
|			|		|Ceiba		  885	|                              
|			|		|Ciales		  871	|                              
|			|		|Cidra		  739	|                             
|			|		|Coamo		  825	|                              
|			|		|Comeria	  875	|                              
|			|		|Corozal	  859	|                              
|			|		|Culebra	  742	|                              
|			|		|Dorado Toa Baja  796	|                             
|			|		|Fajardo	860 863	|                          
|			|		|Florida	  822	|                              
|			|		|Guanica Ensenada 821	|                              
|			|		|Guayama	  864	|                              
|			|		|Guayanilla	267 835	|                          
|			|		|Guaynabo	720 731	| 
|			|		|		789 790	|                  
|			|		|Gurabo		  737	|                              
|			|		|Hormigueros	  849	|                              
|			|		|Humacao	  852	|                              
|			|		|Isabela	830 872	|                          
|			|		|Isla Verde	253 791	|                          
|			|		|Jayuya		  828	|                              
|			|		|Juana Diaz	  837	|                              
|			|		|Juncos		  734	|                              
|			|		|Lajas		  899	|                            
|			|		|Lares		  897	|                              
|			|		|Las Marias	  827	|                              
|			|		|Las Piedras	  733	|                              
|			|		|Levittown	261 795	|                          
|			|		|Loiza		  876	|
|			|		|Luquillo	  889	|
|			|		|Manati		854 884	|                          
|			|		|Maricao	  838	|                              
|			|		|Maunabo	  861	|                              
|			|		|Mayaguez	254 264	| 	
|			|		|		265 831	| 
|			|		|		832 833	| 
|			|		|		834	|      
|			|		|Moca		  877	|                              
|			|		|Morovis	  862	|                              
|			|		|Naguabo	  874	|                              
|			|		|Naranjito	  869	|                              
|			|		|Orocovis	  867	|                              
|			|		|Palmas del Mar	  850	|                              
|			|		|Penuelas	  836	|                              
|			|		|Ponce		259 840	| 
|			|		|		841 842	| 
|			|		|		843 844	| 
|			|		|		848 866	|  
|			|		|Pueblo Viejo	749 781 |
|			|		|		782 783	| 
|			|		|		792 793	|          
|			|		|Quebradillas	  895	|                              
|			|		|Ramey		  890	|                              
|			|		|Rincon		  823	|                              
|			|		|Rio Grande	  887	|                             
|			|		|Rio Piedras	250 751	| 
|			|		|		753 754	| 
|			|		|		756 758	| 
|			|		|		759	|      
|			|		|Roosevelt Roads  865	|                              
|			|		|Sabana Grande	  873	|                             
|			|		|Salinas	  824	|                             
|			|		|Santana	  881	|                              
|			|		|Santurce	268 721	| 
|			|		|		727 728	|                  
|			|		|San Germain	  892	|                              
|			|		|San Juan	722 723	| 
|			|		|		724 725	| 
|			|		|		726 886	| 
|			|		|		888	|	      
|			|		|San Lorenzo	  736	|                              
|			|		|San Sebastian	  896	|                              
|			|		|Santa Isabel	  845	|                              
|			|		|Toa Alta	  870	|                              
|			|		|Toa Baja	  794	|                              
|			|		|Trujillo Alto	729 748	| 
|			|		|		755 760	| 
|			|		|		761	|              
|			|		|Utuado		  894	|                              
|			|		|Vega Alta	  883	|                              
|			|		|Vega Baha	855 858	| 	                        
|			|		|Vieques	  741	|                             
|			|		|Villalba	  847	|                              
|			|		|Yabucoa	266 893	|                          
|			|		|Yauco		  856	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|  St. Kitts and Nevis	|	869	|St Kitts	465 467	|                         
|			|		|Newcastle (Nevis) 469	|[R1]
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|	St. Lucia	|	758	|All points 452 453 454	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|St. Vincent&Grenadines	|	784	|All points 456 457 458	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|  Trinidad and Tobago	|	868	|Arima		642 667	|                          
|			|		|Barrackpore	  654	|                              
|			|		|Chaguanas	665 671 |
|			|		|		672	|                      
|			|		|Claxton Bay	  659	|                              
|			|		|Couva		636 678 |
|			|		|		679	|
|			|		|Cross Crossing	  657	|                              
|			|		|Diego Martin	632 633 |
|			|		|		634 637	|                  
|			|		|Fryzabad	  677	|                              
|			|		|Gasparillo	  650	|	                             
|			|		|Guayaguayare	  630	|                             
|			|		|Marabella	  658	|                              
|			|		|Maraval	  629	|                             
|			|		|Mausica	  646	|                             
|			|		|Mayaro		  644	|                              
|			|		|Penal		  647	|                              
|			|		|Piarco		664 669	|                          
|			|		|Princess Town	655 656	|                          
|			|		|Point Fortin	  648	|                              
|			|		|Port-of-Spain	622 623	| 
|			|		|		624 625	| 
|			|		|		627 628	|          
|			|		|Roxborough (Tobago)660	|                              
|			|		|Scarborough (Tobago)639|                              
|			|		|Siparra	  649	|                              
|			|		|San Fernando	652 653	|                          
|			|		|San Juan	638 674	| 
|			|		|		675 676	|                  
|			|		|Santa Rosa	  643	|                              
|			|		|St Augustine	645 662	| 
|			|		|		663	|                      
|			|		|Toco		668 670	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|Turks & Caicos Islands	|	649	|Grand Turk	946-2	|                            
|			|		|South Caicos	946-3	|                            
|			|		|Providenciales	946-4	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|  U.S Virgin Islands	|	340	|Charlotte Amalie,	|
|			|		|St Thomas	774 775 |
|			|		|		776 777 |
|			|		|		778 779	|          
|			|		|St John	776-6xxx|    	
|			|		|		776-7xxx|            
|			|		|Christiansted, 	|		
|			|		|St Croix  	771 773	|                          
|			|		|Fredericksted, 	|
|			|		|St Croix  	772	|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|  
Note: Some countries have not updated their routing tables to take
into account the new NPAs in this region. Should you find yourself
on a trunk in one of the non-updated countries, when routing simply 
use 809 as the area code.

Kp2-1-0-809-prefix-number-ST

This is possible, as none of the exchanges listed here overlap or
conflict, because until recently they were all on NPA 809. This routing
might be worth considering, if routing using the new NPA won't work.


NETWORK INFRUSTRUCTURE                                                                                                        			                             
----------------------

The nature of the Caribbean area - many small islands, makes laying
cables to every island a challenging task. As the result, the larger
islands are served with submarine cables and tend to act as 
concentration points for infrustructure.

Satellites are also used, these mainly for international calls due to 
the delay often associated with satellite connections, satellites are 
making it possible for many nations in this area to have direct links 
with the UK and Europe meaning that international connections no longer
have to go through the US, increasing the autonomy of the telcos in the
area.
[bermuda-earthstation.jpg]

The main hubs, or nodal points in the network, are situated 
strategically on the larger islands. 

Historically, the smaller islands were linked together with a VHF 
Radio and UHF-Microwave system, the latter being pioneered by 
Cable&Wireless in 1972, what was then the longest island hopping 
analogue microwave system in the world, spanning the 800 miles between 
Tortilla and Trinidad, including the French islands. This microwave
network is still in use, but over recent years (1991) has been 
developed further to provide digital transmission and greater 
bandwidth.
[See cwmicrowavemap.jpg]
[See microtower.jpg]

But, with the advent of the internet, and greater demand for bandwidth,
it has become economical to lay fibres to even the smaller islands.
Recently, the Eastern Caribbean Fibre-Optic System was inaugerated,
stretching from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad, this system
provides high quality undersea international links and ensures that the
islands of the Eastern Caribbean have the capacity to keep up with the
increased demand for telephone service.
[See Ecfs.jpg]

More developments are on the horizon in the Eastern Caribbean. 
Cable&Wireless is constructing an IP network with gateway nodes and 
network management centres in Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad. A 
Frame-Relay network is due for completion, to complement the new IP
Network.


....]Main Hubs

From looking at a map of the main cables in this area [caribbean.gif],
the network hubs can be identified. The US Virgin Islands seem to be 
the biggest hub amd covers the Eastern Caribbean area. It is linked to 
the US mainland via the Americas-1, Columbus-2 and Florida - St Thomas
cables, both with bandwidths of 2.5Gbps each. It is the base of the 
Eastern Caribbean Fibre-Optic System. It is also linked with Venezuela 
and Brazil, via the US-Venezuela cable and the Brus, both coaxial with 
640ch each. The second part of the Americas-1 also links it with 
Brazil, and provides 560Mbps of bandwidth. The Columbus-2 (560Mbps) 
links the US Virgin Islands hub with Palermo in Italy.

The hub for the Western Caribbean is Puerto Rico. The Eastern hub is 
linked with Puerto Rico via the 560Mbps Taino-Carib fibre-optic cable
with landing points in US. VI and in Isla Verde and Miramar in Puerto 
Rico. A coaxial, 4,680 channel cable links San Juan in Puerto Rico with
West Palm Beach FL. The TCS-1 coaxial system links Jamaica, Domincian
Rep and Colombia with Puerto Rico, offering a capacity of 3,780 
channels, before splitting in two with 1,890 channels for Jamaica and
Dominican Republic and 1,890 channels of capacity for the Colombian 
link.

Jamaica has become increasingly important, with a new cable linking
it with Florida (aptly named the Florida - Jamaica). From Jamaica, a 
cable links it with Panama and the Cayman Islands. Jamaica is part of
the Jamaica-Cayman Fibre Optic System, linking several landing points
on the islands involved.
[Side note on the Cayman Islands, they actually have the highest number
of fax machines per capita than anywhere else and they are in the top
ten financial centres, and probably the least know of them all... :D]

[Note: this map is a 1996 plan, courtesy of KDD. It leaves out a few
of the newer cables, including some US - Venezuela connections and the
Cayman-Jamaica Fibre Optic System. Some have been added, but not all,
although this map seems to be the best out of the maps currently 
available online.]

Nearly every island has a ground station, providing international links
and television services, some of the satellites used include INMARSAT, 
INTELSAT, and TRICOMSAT. Some reports of Westar IV being used by 
Nicaragua (505) are floating around, this is unverified. Belize (501)
did have a direct satellite link with the UK until last year, but the
link died and now all calls are handled by MCI as a primary carrier
with secondary agreements with AT&T and Telmex.


....]Switching and Signalling

Most of the islands in the Eastern Caribbean have fully digital 
switching facilities and services that are on a par (if not better)
than what we have in the UK. Prices are fairly comparable, although
local calls are free. Teledensity is lower in this region as a whole,
but efforts made by the telcos are paying off and demand for lines is
increasing. ESS and DMS are the main digital switches in use, such is 
the US influence on the area, for analogue switiching, the Crossbar is
the main switch, there are few Step-by-Step/Strowger switches 
remaining, if any.

Signalling for international calls in a combination of SS7
and R1/C5. R1 and C5 are still used fairly extensively, despite 
digitalisation, mainly due to the reduced demand and revenue from 
international calls meaning the need for upgrading is less. Background
dialling, muting during routing and single-pleep connections are all
features of a typical Caribbean C5 connection. Filtering on these 
connections is intensive and therefore they are always the hardest 
connections to bluebox. Despite this, they are always interesting to 
the inquisitive, and have many features such as the ability to drop 
onto verification trunks for eavesdropping.

It is the case with some connections, such as Belize, that the C5
routing and signalling data is digitised onto E1 cables for transit
via the US. On reaching Belize it once again becomes inband, meaning
that seizing intermediate trunks along the route is impossible. This
method might also mean that certain devices could be used to prevent
blueboxing, although my knowledge of these devices is minimal.

SS7 is increasingly the signalling of choice, although blueboxing will
still be alive over there for quite some time. A fully digitised 
Caribbean is within view in the next 10 years, unfortunatly for 
blueboxing.


....]Brief Description of the Networks

BAHAMAS

Nowadays, most business districts in New Providence are serviced via 
fibre optic cable, and, in 1997 Batelco inaugurated its new fibre optic 
cable connection to Florida which is owned by BATELCO, AT&T, MCI, 
Worldcom and telephone companies in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, 
Puerto Rico, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago. This is in addition to
the coaxial BAHAMAS-1 cable (1972) and provides additional capacity
for the growing demand for telephone service in the Bahamas. There
is also a standard "A" Earth Station, and a new satellite linking
Switzerland with the Bahamas was launched in 1998. Many calls to the
Bahamas from Europe during the hurricane were routed along this 
satellite as opposed to the submarine cable due to the adverse 
weather conditions. 

Today, BATELCO's modern digital network has a switch capacity for 
131,000 lines of which some 109,000 are now in service and just over 
98,000 of which are revenue producing. Since 1992 Batelco has increased 
its lines in service, by over 22,000, an increase of the order of 20%. 
As a result, increased service has been provided in New Providence, 
Abaco, Andros, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Long Island, and Eleuthera and 
elsewhere. By 1995, even the small fishing community at Grand Cay, 
Abaco had Direct Distance Dial (DDD). So does Sweetings Cay, Grand 
Bahama, the Current, Rum Cay and Ragged Island. By comparison to other 
developing countries, The Bahamas have a high fixed-line penetration in 
the community. The telco is pressing ahead with further modernisation
including upgrading of switches.

BARBADOS
Cable & Wireless BARTEL's telephone system now comprises four DMS-100s,
four DMS-10s and several remotes in a fully digital system. SS7 is used
as the signalling system. Barbados is on the Eastern Caribbean 
Fibre-Optic system, and part of the microwave network. A ground station
is also in use.

BELIZE
Belize Telecommunications Ltd operates a mixed a newly digitized
telephone system. Most of the country has access to private 
telephone services, but where these are not available yet, service is 
provided using payphones in community locations. Most customers were 
serviced by an analogue switch, notably Crossbar with some on ESS and 
R1 was the main signalling system in use. Nowadays, the entire network
is serviced by Nortel DMS100 units, using SS7. For data transfer, 
DATAPAC is the main system in use and offers speeds of between 300bps 
and 9600bps. At present, DTN - Data Transport Network is being phased 
in, offering higher data speeds. 

Until last year, Belize had a direct satellite link with the UK on 
Intelsat, six trunks were used using a single carrier per channel 
system. All transit calls go via MCI, AT&T being the secondary carrrier 
and Telmex being the tertiary carrier. Digital CCITT system 5 is the 
international switching system in use, with signalling being digitally 
encoded onto E1s at the switching centre. Cellular service uses the 
AMPS standard, and paging is available.

Belize was once on the US numbering plan, but suceeded from it a long
time ago. It was given country code 501.

JAMAICA
Cable and Wireless Jamaica has operated a completely digital
(switching and transmission) network since 1992. Its central office 
switching capacity is supported by numerous Outside Plant Modules
(OPMs). These OPMs are small remote exchanges linked to larger host 
exchanges by fibre optic cable or digital microwave radio. OPMs are 
currently being installed at an average rate of 30 per year, mainly in
rural communities, where mountainous terrain renders traditional 
methods of service provisioning both difficult and expensive. 

Jamaica's international telecommunications traffic is shared by two 
submarine fibre optic cable systems and an earth station with access 
to an INTELSAT Atlantic Ocean satellite. 

Under an extensive development programme started six years ago, the 
number of telephone main lines in service has tripled to 453,102 at the
end of November 1998. 

The company has set itself a target of 500,000 main lines by the year 
2000. In early 1997, the Company began deploying Wireless Local Loop 
(WLL) technology as part of its strategy to provide basic telephone 
service at a much faster rate, particularly in rural areas.

Cable and Wireless Jamaica is also currently working to increase the 
capacity of the island's cellular network and will shortly begin the
phased introductioin of digital service.

PANAMA
Services in Panama are operated by Cable&Wireless Panama. A mixed 
network of analogue and digital switching is present at the moment.
Many iniatives have been taken by Cable&Wireless to increase 
teledensity and the number of lines has increased dramatically this
year. Digital cellular services are now available.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
The telephone company for Trinidad and Tobago is Telecommunications
Services of Trinidad and Tobago, abbreviated TSTT. The company operates
a fully digital network, and has done since 1997.

The thirty-seven digital switches include 1 DMS 200 Toll Switch, 
12 DMS 100 Line Switches, 14 DMS Remote Switching Centres and 10 
Outside Plant Modules (OPMs).

The Company's network comprises 37 exchanges offering service to 
approximately 190,000 customers. TSTT maintains two Standard A Intelsat 
earth stations at Point Lisas and Matura. The Point Lisas Teleport 
provides an external satellite route out of Trinidad and Tobago. It is 
equipped with a full auto-track facility, stand-by power and other 
ancillary equipment which is linked to TEXTEL House and to Piarco 
International Airport by digital microwave radio. A Digital Microwave 
System also connects TEXTEL house and the Eastern Caribbean Microwave 
Station at Morne Bleu. TEXTEL House, Morne Bleu and Matura have been 
equipped with modern digital multiplexing systems. 


....]Cellular Phones in the Caribbean

The cellular phone industry in this region is similar to that of the
US, predominantly AMPS (analogue) with digital making an entry in the
form of TDMA and PCS. Cable & Wireless have introduced digital cellular
services in the Cayman Islands, Panama and Barbados. For many islands,
cellular services are under the control of the monopoly telco with 
government regulation.


....]Operating Companies

Cable&Wireless is the dominant player in the Caribbean, it is main 
telco in the region and it's position was inherited as it was the 
British international telephone company. Since then, it has been 
granted licenses by the governments of this region to provide telephone
services. In most cases, telcos in this region are monopolies. Except 
for Cable&Wireless; MCI and AT&T are major international carriers. 
Other telcos do exist, such as Belize Telecom, Bahamas Telecom 
(Batelco), Puerto Rico PRT, St. Eustatius EUTEL, St. Maarten Telem and
Skantel St. Kitts and Nevis.


CONCLUSION
----------
I hope that this fairly detailed guide has left you with a better
knowledge of the Caribbean phone system. Who knows, it might even come
in useful sometime, you could impress people with your k-rad 809
knowledge.

If you have any comments or additions to this guide, email me at the
following address:

inno6@hotmail.com

Any I'll probably reply.


gtg, calls to make.....


		"tHaNk-y0u aNd gOoDbYe... CHEEP!..."


		=8-0-9 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS=


			   			westar - 0wned: 809
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Banana Hut HQ


"So, NynexPhreak, what's a guard tone?"
[Smart guy... CCU]

	
