The Utility Regulation and Competition Office ("URCO" or "the Office") has today issued Direction No. URCO/D/2026/2 to Cable and Wireless (Cayman Islands) Limited ("Flow") under section 87 of the Utility Regulation and Competition Act (2024 Revision), in respect of the candw.ky electronic-mail service. The Direction follows a telephone conversation on 23 April 2026 between URCO's Interim Chief Executive Officer and Flow's Country Manager, in which Flow indicated that it was planning to cessation (shutdown) the candw.ky email service during the second quarter of 2026. URCO requested written details of Flow's plans, including timing, customer notification and migration arrangements, so that the matter could be properly considered under the Licence and the Information and Communications Technology Act (2026 Revision). Those details were not provided to the Office. The candw.ky email service has formed part of the Cayman Islands' communications landscape for several decades, and is used by residents and businesses for banking, healthcare, dealings with Government and personal correspondence. The full extent of current usage is one of the matters URCO has formally required Flow to disclose. The Office has acted before that information is in hand precisely because it cannot wait for it: subscribers must not be exposed to the risk of an abrupt cessation simply because the regulator has not yet been told who, or how many, would be affected. Among other things, the Direction requires Flow not to discontinue, suspend or impair the candw.ky email service without URCO's prior written consent; to submit, within fourteen (14) days, written information addressing the matters set out and requested in the Direction, including any alternative proposal Flow wishes the Office to consider; and to ensure that any cessation that is ultimately approved is preceded by an adequate notice period to subscribers, with reminders at regular intervals throughout that period and dedicated complaints and assistance channels in place. The Direction sets that notice period at twelve (12) months as a starting point. The Office may be open to a shorter period where Flow's proposal demonstrates robust, well-resourced migration support that genuinely protects subscribers. PO Box 10189 Grand Cayman KY1-1002 Cayman Islands Tel: (345) 946-4282
A message to candw.ky users URCO encourages candw.ky subscribers to take their own steps in their own time, irrespective of what Flow ultimately decides. The candw.ky platform is a long-standing legacy service. A wide range of modern email services - both free and paid - are available today and offer significantly greater functionality, stronger security features, larger storage and better protection against fraud and phishing. Subscribers who have used a candw.ky address for many years should not feel locked in. Choosing a new email provider, and updating banking, healthcare, Government and other key accounts to that new address, is a sensible step that subscribers can take at any time and is not dependent on the outcome of the Office's engagement with Flow. Sonji Myles, Interim Chief Executive Officer of URCO, said: "Many persons in Cayman have used a candw.ky email address for years - for banking, for healthcare, for Government, for business, for keeping in touch with family and more. Our job is to make sure no-one is left without proper notice, proper support, and a real opportunity to move on their own terms. We are not telling Flow to keep aging candw.ky platform open forever. We are saying that any change has to be done the right way. And we encourage subscribers, whatever Flow ultimately decides, to take their own sensible steps now: there are good, modern email services available, and there is no reason to wait. URCO has issued the Direction to ensure that affected consumers are protected, that continuity of service is maintained, and that any long-term change to the candw.ky email service follows the appropriate regulatory process under the Licence and applicable legislation.” URCO will engage with Flow in good faith over the coming weeks and will keep the public informed of material developments. Failure to comply with the Direction will result in enforcement action under the Utility Regulation and Competition Act, and may include fines, administrative penalties and/or application to the Court for an order requiring compliance. A copy of Direction No. URCO/D/2026/2 is attached to this release and can also be accessed via the Office’s website.