Barbados-based telecommunications provider Flow has backed down from an immediate planned increase to post-paid mobile data rates, pushing back the implementation of the tariff hike from November 1 this year to February 1 next year, following widespread public backlash over the proposal.
The announcement of the delay came after hundreds of customers took to social media to vent their frustration over both the unannounced planned rate increase and unexplained surges in monthly data usage that sent individual bills skyrocketing in recent weeks. Multiple customers have shared dramatic examples of unanticipated bill jumps: some recurring monthly charges climbed from $130 to $165, others rose from $95 to $140, one jumped from $265 to $435, and another even increased from $410 to $589.32. These viral posts sparked broad public outcry that quickly pressured the company to reverse its initial timeline.
In an official statement addressing the controversy, Flow explained that the proposed rate increase was tied to a recent update to its internal system for capturing and recording customer mobile data usage, branded by the company as a service enhancement. The provider also confirmed that it had received hundreds of inquiries from confused customers noticing unusually high data consumption on their most recent billing statements. Multiple customers told local outlet Barbados TODAY that the planned rate hike was rolled out without any advance formal notice to subscribers, adding to public anger over the change.
Now, two leading consumer advocacy groups have called on Barbados’ Fair Trading Commission (FTC) to launch a formal investigation into the proposed rate increase and the disputed data measurement changes. Veteran utility rate watchdog Ricky Went was the first to reach out to regulators, confirming to Barbados TODAY on Thursday that he had formally questioned both the legal and economic justification for the hike as well as the unprecedented scale of the price increases. Went added that he has asked regulators to take proactive steps to prevent similar untransparent pricing changes from affecting consumers in the future. The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) followed suit, submitting a formal written request to the FTC to investigate the matter.
Flow Barbados operates as a regional subsidiary of Liberty Caribbean, which was previously known as Cable & Wireless Communications. The company is part of the larger Liberty Latin America group, which is publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange, with an American cable magnate holding the position of the firm’s largest shareholder.