The main players in the Turks and Caicos Islands telecommunications market are:

• Cable & Wireless (TCI) Limited: provides mobile, fixed broadband, and Pay TV services.
• Digicel (Turks & Caicos) Limited: provides mobile, fixed broadband, and Pay TV services.

According to the Annual Report 2023-2024, published by the Turks and Caicos Islands Telecommunications Commission on 16th October 2025, the Telecommunication Sector Gross Revenue was $65 million in FY 2023/24.

Turks and Caicos Islands Mobile Subscribers and Penetration: In FY2023/24, the total number of mobile subscribers grew by 4.1K or 7.8% from the previous fiscal year 2022/23, which had a subscriber base of 56.4K. The increase in mobile subscribers in FY2023/24 can be attributed to carriers offering further new affordable service plans. Mobile penetration also saw an increase over the same time, by roughly 4.5%, with 78.4% of the subscribers in FY2023/24 being pre-paid subscribers.

Fixed Internet Subscribers and Household Penetration: As fixed broadband service providers in the TCI continue to transition to fibre infrastructure, this investment continues to support growth with fixed broadband subscriptions increasing by 9.1% from 14.2K in FY2022/23 to 15.5K in FY2023/24, increasing fixed broadband subscription penetration by 9.1% compared to FY2022/23.

Fixed Telephone Subscribers and Household Penetration: Following growth in fixed-line telephone subscribers between FY2021/22 and FY2022/23, subscriber numbers decreased by 5.3% between FY2022/23 and FY23/24. Previous data suggests that fixed-line subscriptions are on a decline in the Caribbean region and elsewhere and this decrease would suggest the TCI is again aligning with this decline. The penetration rate for the same period also declined, by 8.8%.

Pay TV Subscribers and Household Penetration: The Telecommunications Commission of the Turks and Caicos Islands does not license or regulate broadcast television services, subscriptions, or Pay TV services; however, because this service is usually bundled with telecommunication services and uses elements of telecommunications to distribute its contents to the end user, the Commission monitors and reports on sector activities. There are currently two television service providers in TCI, namely Digicel and Flow. People’s Television (PTV), which was in operation before 2022, suspended its operations in December 2022. Pay TV subscriptions fell by 42.8% from FY2022/23 to FY2023/24. At the same time, Pay TV penetration in TCI fell by 44.9% for the same period.

The ICT sector in the Turks and Caicos Islands is undergoing Legislative change as all existing telecoms and broadcasting laws will be repealed and replaced by a new ICT Ordinance. The newly proposed ICT Act will cover telecoms, broadcasting, data protection, AI, broadcasting content and other content and measures to protect telecommunications operators from big tech platform exploitation. 

The Regulatory Framework of the ICT sector in the Turks and Caicos Islands is:

• Telecommunications Act 
• Telecommunications (Frequency Management) 
• Telecommunications (Regulator Fees) 
• Telecommunications (Numbering) Regulations 
• Telecommunications (Pricing) Regulations 
• Telecommunications (Interconnection and Access to Telecommunications Facilities) Regulations
• Telecommunications (Telecommunications and Frequency Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 
• Telecommunications (Universal Service and Public Telecommunications) Regulations 
• Wireless Telegraphy (VHF Licences) Regulations 
• Wireless Telegraphy (Amateur Radio Operator Licensing) Regulations 
• Telecommunications (Fee Structure) Regulations

The Telecommunications Act of the Turks and Caicos Islands requires that, before the Telecommunications Commission grants licenses for mobile telephone and Internet access services, the Commission must be satisfied that the applicant:

• that it has the technical capacity to establish, operate and maintain the telecommunications network or service in respect of which application for the licence is being made; and
• with evidence including evidence as to its financial resources, that it can establish, operate and maintain that system or provide that service for the duration of the licence.

The Telecommunications Commission would not issue a license unless the Commission is satisfied that the telecom operator is owned or controlled by Turks and Caicos Islanders. The Commission deems a telecom company to be controlled by Turks and Caicos Islanders, where:

• not less than fifty-one per cent of the members of its board of directors are individual Turks and Caicos Islanders;
• not less than fifty - one per cent of the telecom operator’s voting shares issued and outstanding are owned by Turks and Caicos Islanders; and
• the telecom operator is not otherwise controlled by persons that are not Islanders.

In accordance with Section 28 of the Telecommunications Ordinance, the rates for telecommunication services, except those regulated by the Telecommunication Commission, are determined by the telecommunications providers in accordance with the principles of supply and demand.

The Telecommunications Commission of the Turks and Caicos Islands may establish rate regulation regimes where:

• only one licensee is operating a telecommunications network or providing telecommunication service, or where one or more licensees have been determined to have a dominant position in the relevant market;
• a sole or dominant licensee operating a telecommunications system, networks or providing a telecommunications service provided by such licensee;
• The Telecommunications Commission is satisfied that there is evidence of anti–competitive pricing or acts of unfair competition. 

Where a licensee wishes to assign its license, pursuant to Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, the licensee must apply in writing to the Telecommunications Commission. The Telecommunications Commission will consider the following matters when deciding on a request for approval of an assignment or transfer:

• the circumstances of each transfer or assignment to ensure that licensees are not unduly restricted in the management of their commercial affairs;
• whether or not the assignee or transferee satisfies the criteria for the grant of a licence;
• where the assignment is from one or more individuals to a body corporate owned or controlled by the same individual or individuals; the extent to which the assignment achieves a change in their relative interest;
• where the assignment is from a body corporate to its shareholders, the extent to which there is a change in the assignor’s interest;
• where the assignment or transfer is the result of a corporate reorganisation, the extent to which there is a change in beneficial ownership.

Universal Service refers to government-defined services and programs that aim to guarantee nationwide access to quality and affordable telecommunications, regardless of location, socioeconomic status, or ability. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Universal Service and Public Telecommunications Regulations 2005 govern these services. Universal Service providers must ensure:

• Access to Public Telephone Service to make and receive national and international calls and free access to emergency numbers;
• Access to Payphones at reasonable locations and to reach emergency numbers at no cost;
• Internet access for public libraries and public schools at no cost;
• Provision of a public directory and enquiry service; and
• Special provisions for low-income users.

Where the Telecommunications Commission determines that a licensee is dominant, the licensee must provide timely interconnection to another licensee that has made an interconnection request. However, a dominant licensee to whom a request for interconnection is made may refuse to provide interconnection for the protection of:

• The safety of a person;
• The security of a network; or
• The integrity of the network. 

The radio spectrum is allocated in accordance with the National Spectrum Plan for the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Spectrum Plan has a table of Frequency Allocations to indicate the assignment of the radio frequency spectrum between 83 kHz and 275 GHz. It is based on the provisions of the various World Radio Conferences ("WRC") convened by the International Telecommunication Union ("ITU"), including the 2019 WRC. An application must be made to the Telecommunication Commission for a Spectrum License. 

National authorization is required for the installation of telecom infrastructure. Under the provisions of the Physical Planning Act, no person can carry out development without prior approval. 

The Telecommunications (Interconnection and Access to Telecommunications Facilities) Regulations address the sharing of passive telecommunications infrastructure. The regulations mandate Carriers and service providers to cooperate to be able to provide integrated public telecommunications services throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

Currently, the regulatory framework lacks provisions for authorizing the landing and operation of submarine cables within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Telecommunications Fee Structure Regulations outline a range of telecommunications licenses and their corresponding fees. However, there is currently no specific licence type in the Telecommunications Fee Structure Regulations that is directly applicable to the provision of internet service by satellite. In theory, an Internet Network or Services License, which is defined as: “A network or service that provides users the ability to access the internet,” could be considered to include satellite-based internet connectivity, as this definition does not include any restrictions on how the service must be delivered. Therefore, the Telecommunications Commission believes that this type of licence could be a potential placement for satellite-based internet services as it fits the Internet Network or Services description for the service that is being provisioned.

There are currently no legal mandates in the regulatory framework of the Turks and Caicos Islands regarding the authorization of ground stations, as the nearest ground stations to the Islands are in both the United States and Jamaica. 

No, direct–to–device satellite communication is not regulated in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Internet traffic from the Turks and Caicos Islands connects to satellites that are regulated by the United States. Even if the satellite is located immediately above the Turks and Caicos Islands, it still would not be within the jurisdiction of the Turks and Caicos Islands, as it would be classed as being in space, which is generally defined as anything over 100km (62 miles) above ground level. Satellite orbits begin around 250km above ground level.

The Telecommunication Commission would not have the same level of regulatory control over a satellite service that it would have over a service provider whose operations and infrastructure were located wholly within the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

The Telecommunications Commission bears the responsibility of specifying procedures for testing telecommunication devices to ensure that they comply with the prescribed standards.  

The Telecommunications Commission does not license or regulate broadcast, subscription, or Pay TV services; however, because these services are usually bundled with telecommunication services and use elements of telecommunications to distribute content to end users, the Commission monitors and reports on the sectors’ activities. There are currently two television service providers in TCI, namely Digicel and Flow, using various technologies, including fixed wireless and/or fibre, which saw Pay TV subscriptions grow by 78.7% and penetration growth of 26.9% between FY2021 and FY2022.

As noted above, Pay TV services are not regulated by the Telecommunications Commission. However, radio broadcasting is regulated by the Telecommunications Commission. 

Under the Telecommunications Act, there is no procedure to apply for a Pay TV license; however, to be able to conduct radio broadcasting, an application for a Spectrum license must be made to the Telecommunications Commission. A spectrum license is valid for 15 years. 

The regulatory framework of the Turks and Caicos Islands lacks provisions on the need for approval for license or share transfers. 

As noted above, the Telecommunications Commission does not license or regulate broadcast, subscription, or Pay TV services; these services are usually bundled with telecommunication services and use elements of telecommunications to distribute content to end users. Therefore, the Telecommunications Commission would have to be satisfied that the telecom operator is owned or controlled by Turks and Caicos Islanders. The Commission deems a telecom company to be controlled by Turks and Caicos Islanders, where:

• not less than fifty-one per cent of the members of its board of directors are individual Turks and Caicos Islanders;
• not less than fifty - one per cent of the telecom operator’s voting shares issued and outstanding are owned by Turks and Caicos Islanders; and
• the telecom operator is not otherwise controlled by persons that are not Islanders.

At the local level, license holders are subject to the following caps:

• AM radio: up to 1 license.
• FM radio: up to 1 license 

Audiovisual signals, production companies, and advertising agencies are not subject to registration within the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

There are no obligations to include national or local content within the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

The laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands do not set requirements for specific contents. 

There are no minimum quotas for national content in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

Pay TV operators in the Turks and Caicos Islands are not required to carry certain free-to-air channels. 

There are no requirements regarding domestic or foreign advertising production within the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

There no prohibitions on certain products or audiences in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

There is no registry of advertisers in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

Audiovisual services are not subjected to special taxes or levies within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

OTT platforms are not regulated in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Turks and Caicos Islands have no specific regulatory framework for AI in the private sector. 

The Turks and Caicos Islands have no general mandatory rules for AI. 

As noted, the Turks and Caicos Islands have no specific AI law. 

Currently, there is no legal framework in the Turks and Caicos Islands that governs Cybersecurity. However, on the 15th August 2025, in a newspaper article, the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands stated that it was in the process of finalizing a Cybersecurity Strategy Plan ("CSSTP") aimed at maturing the Turks and Caicos Islands’ cyber resilience and ensuring that the Country can withstand and rapidly recover from future threats. This is primarily for the Government systems rather than the Private Sector. 

There are no minimum cybersecurity requirements for companies or service providers within the Turks and Caicos Islands. In terms of the telecommunications industry, the Telecommunications Commission is exploring its role in protecting consumers and businesses and their data from attack and/or compromise without overlapping, duplicating, or confusing areas that are the responsibility of law enforcement.

There are no recorded instances within the Turks and Caicos Islands where public or private entities faced sanctions for not complying with Cybersecurity regulations. 

There are no mandatory incident response plans or reporting obligations within the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

As previously noted, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government is developing a Cybersecurity Strategy Plan.

Private entities must inform the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force in the event of a Cyber attack.

The Cyber (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2020 was enacted within the Turks and Caicos Islands and other British Overseas Territories to enhance national security and combat cyber threats. The Order provides a legal framework for designating individuals, entities, and states involved in malicious cyber activities as sanctioned parties. The Order includes asset freezes, travel bans, trade restrictions, and other financial means to deter and disrupt cyber-attacks, prevent the proliferation of cyber weapons, and safeguard critical infrastructure. 

The Turks and Caicos Islands are not a part of any international agreements or treaties that govern Cybersecurity. As noted, the Turks and Caicos Islands are in the process of finalizing a Cybersecurity Strategy Plan to bring the Islands into conformity with international standards.