Bureau of Telecommunication and Post St. Maarten is currently executing tower scans on strategically chosen transmitter sites on St. Maarten and St. Martin Mobile Networks with the aim to identify potential infringements of the frequency coordination agreement between Anguilla, France and Netherlands Antilles telecommunications authorities as it relates to intentional coverage of foreign territories by neighboring operators.
Technical experts of the BT&P are working around the clock to ensure regulatory compliance of all operators on the island and also monitor the proper use of spectrum.
The Tower Scans are executed with state of the art equipment in collaboration with Neptuno, a Venezuela based company with extensive experience in the area of engineering, custom-design and professional installation of towers, monopoles, shelters, accessories for the communications industry.
Main focus is of this scanning campaign is to verify the alignment of the different antennas to guarantee that all mobile providers operating in S. Maarten /Saint Martin are adhering to the stipulations of the frequency coordination agreement between the islands.
Moreover, the structural integrity of towers and antenna’s is also being assessed.
The results of the scans executed shall form the basis for the upcoming spectrum coordination meetings, starting June 27th 2011, between the BT&P and regulators from France, Anguilla and BES islands.
Interim director of Bureau Telecommunication and Post, Mrs. Peggy-Ann Brandon, stated that "Regulation of the telecommunication industry is exactly what these scans are all about" With the results the Bureau will be able to irrefutably indentify those operators that are intentional covering foreign territory, but will also have insight into the structural integrity of towers and their capability to withstand hurricane force winds. The 3D scans are the first ever conducted in the former Netherlands Antilles setting.