LIME St. Lucia, a Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) business, has become the first operator to offer high speed mobile data services in St. Lucia.
LIME turned on its high-speed mobile data network this week, ahead of its planned commercial launch, to enable customers to monitor the progress of tropical storm Chantal, which passed the island on Tuesday. Access to services such as instant messaging, storm tracking apps and GPS could be essential for customers before, during and after tropical storms. High speed mobile data services will also enable LIME customers to get faster access to games, video and day-do-day mobile apps.
LIME previously offered limited mobile data services through its 2G EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) network. The new mobile data network uses 4G HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access plus) technology, delivering download speeds of up to 10 megabits per second (mbps) on smartphones and other data-enabled devices. 
“Our customers told us loud and clear they want a fast and reliable network comparable to first world standards, and we have responded,” said LIME St. Lucia general manager, Chris Williams. “We have rebuilt our mobile data network and rolled out a brand-new leading-edge 4G network, which we know is going to thrill our data-hungry customers.”
St. Lucia is the seventh CWC market to upgrade to 4G HSPA+ technology, following in the footsteps of Panama, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, and Monaco. CWC says is investing to benefit from growing demand for mobile data across pan-America. In the 2012/13 financial year, group mobile data revenues increased by 34 per cent, with smartphones accounting for an estimated 32 per cent of handsets sold in the company’s Panama and Caribbean businesses.
