Telecoms group Cable & Wireless says it has successfully defended itself in the UK High Court against a claim by Denis O'Brien's mobile phone group Digicel.
Digicel claimed that C&W had unlawfully delayed the entry of competitors into the Caribbean market.
C&W said the judge in the London court had dismissed all the claims brought by Digicel, which covered seven Caribbean territories, though the court found a minor breach of contract in the Turks & Caicos. It said this had caused no delay to Digicel and therefore no loss.
Digicel said it was extremely disappointed with the decision and said the outcome should be attributed to the weak regulatory frameworks in place in certain Caribbean jurisdictions. It said it was 'considering its legal options'.
'This is a resounding victory for Cable & Wireless Communications,' its chief executive Tony Rice said in a statement. 'This case has been a pointless waste of time and money.'
C&W said it would now seek the reimbursement of its costs for defending the matter. It is estimated the costs could run to €25m.
