CANDYWACKY LOGGING OUT: A tense countdown to a shutdown

An email service that has been a constant presence in Cayman - and Caribbean - online experience is being closed down.

The popularly known ‘candywacky’ - candw.ky - is on a phased shutdown in Cayman following detailed and long-running legal, technical and business consultations with the government and the local telecommunications regulator.

By the end of 2026 ‘candywacky’ will cease to exist.

That comes with a string of requirements laid down by the utilities regulator OfReg/Utility Regulation and Competition Office(URCO).

TENSION OVER SERVICE SUSPENSION

In an earlier release, signs of tension between Flow - the company that provides the email service - and URCO were evident. In May this year, URCO issued a stern advisory over the then state of consultations with Flow over the closure of ‘candywacky’.

Referring to correspondence between the two at the time, URCO reported that it had issued a ‘direction’ to Flow 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 regulator noted that 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,” URCO had stated then.

STATUS UPDATE

In a progress report in a statement dated July 29th, URCO updates with a phase-out plan for the service issued to Flow “establishing a phased timetable and mandatory consumer-protection measures for the proposed cessation of the candw.ky electronic-mail service.”

URCO said it initially intervened after Flow indicated that it intended to discontinue the candw.ky email service during the second quarter of 2026. “At that time, the Office had not received sufficient information concerning the proposed timetable, customer notifications, migration arrangements or support for affected subscribers. The original Direction prevented Flow from discontinuing, suspending, terminating, restricting, degrading or otherwise impairing the service without URCO’s prior written consent.”

The agency disclosed that it also required Flow to continue providing the service while the Office reviewed the matter and considered the protections needed for affected consumers. Noting the wide usage of the email service across all sectors of the community, it noted that “an abrupt cessation without adequate notice and migration support could affect access to banking authentication, account recovery, medical communications, public services and other important records.”

According to URCO, Flow subsequently submitted information and proposals concerning the closure of the service. “In considering those representations, the URCO Board assessed both the disruption that cessation could cause to subscribers and the financial, operational and cybersecurity risks associated with continuing to operate the legacy platform for an extended period. The amended Direction conditionally permits a phased closure, subject to Flow first meeting specific notification and migration-support obligations.”

Those included that “no later than 31 July 2026, Flow must: • issue clear public notice that the candw.ky email service will cease and state the applicable cessation dates; • publish practical guidance explaining how customers can create a new email address, save important emails and attachments, update accounts connected to their candw.ky address and notify their contacts; • publish contact details for Flow personnel or teams trained and available to assist customers with migration; and • distribute the required notices and guidance through email, SMS, social media and prominent notices on Flow’s website.”

It also required that “Flow must provide URCO with written confirmation and copies of the notices issued by 1 August 2026. Provided that Flow fully complies with its notification and migration-support obligations by 31 July 2026, outbound candw.ky email services will cease on 31 August 2026. From that date, subscribers will no longer be able to send messages from their candw.ky accounts.”

URCO confirmed that inbound email services will cease on 15 September 2026, after which subscribers will no longer be able to receive new messages through their candw.ky accounts. Following the cessation of inbound email, subscribers will continue to have read-only access to their accounts to view and download existing emails and attachments.

All remaining access to the candw.ky email service will end no earlier than 31 December 2026.

COUNTDOWN TO SHUTDOWN

According to URCO, “If Flow does not complete all required notification and migration measures by 31 July 2026, the outbound shutdown, inbound shutdown and final access dates will each be postponed automatically on a day-for-day basis. For example, if Flow completes the requirements five calendar days late, each of the approved cessation dates will also be delayed by five calendar days. Flow must also continue issuing reminders about the cessation timetable and migration arrangements through SMS and social media at intervals not exceeding 20 days until inbound email is disabled.”

Sonji Myles, Interim Chief Executive Officer of URCO, said: “URCO intervened to ensure that Flow could not proceed with the proposed cessation of this long-standing service without appropriate notice, regulatory review and practical support for affected customers. The amended Direction now establishes clear obligations and an orderly timetable that gives subscribers time to move to another email service and preserve important information.” She also advised: “We strongly encourage candw.ky customers not to wait until the final dates. Subscribers should begin creating a replacement email address, updating the organisations and accounts that rely on their candw.ky address, and saving any emails, attachments and contact information they may need in the future.”

Samuel Jackson, Chairman of the URCO Board, said: “The Board has carefully balanced the needs of consumers against the operational and cybersecurity risks associated with continuing an ageing email platform for longer than is reasonably necessary. The phased approach limits the period during which new email-based threats may arise, while preserving access to historic information through at least the end of the year.”

FLOW CAUTIONED ABOUT COMPLIANCE

URCO further points out that Flow is required to provide clear notice, accessible guidance and meaningful assistance to customers. The approved dates are conditional upon those obligations being met. If notification is delayed, the cessation dates will move accordingly.” Continued use of an ageing or unsupported email system may expose subscribers to increasing cybersecurity risks.

And it states that, once the sending and receiving of new messages has ended, the risk associated with new email-based threats will be reduced, while subscribers will retain a defined period in which to retrieve and preserve historic content. Customers should take steps as soon as possible to create an alternative email address, save important messages and attachments, and update any services that use their candw.ky address.

“These may include banks, government agencies, healthcare providers, insurance companies, utilities, online subscriptions and personal or business accounts. Following the final cessation of the service, Flow will also be required to surrender and transfer administrative control of the candw.ky domain to URCO. The Office will retain the domain as a reserved name and will not permit its registration or use by another party for a minimum period of five years. This measure is intended to protect former users and reduce the risk of the domain being misused after the service closes.”

URCO says it will continue to monitor Flow’s compliance with both the original Direction and the Amendment,and warns that “Failure to comply may result in enforcement action under the Utility Regulation and Competition Act, the Information and Communications Technology Act and Flow’s ICT Licence, including administrative fines, penalties and other regulatory measures.”

Meanwhile, the eServices arm of the Cayman Islands Government(CIG) is advising its users of the discontinuation of the candw.ky - candywacky - service.

CIG GUIDANCE TO eSERVICE USERS

The Department of eGovernment (eGov) is urging residents who use a candw.ky

email address to update their eServices Sign In account ahead of the discontinuation of the candw.ky email service mid-September…Under the approved timetable, candw.ky accounts are due to stop receiving new emails from mid-September. These dates depend on Flow meeting its notification and migration obligations and may move if those obligations are not met.

It urges residents to “act now rather than wait” by updating their email contacts.

“eServices Sign In uses the email address held on an account to send password reset links, verification codes and service notifications. If a candw.ky mailbox stops receiving mail, account holders may be unable to reset a password or recover access to government services online.”

It advises that account holders can sign in at https://my.egov.ky/c/portal/login , open their profile and change the email address. A one-time passcode (OTP) will be sent to the new email address; entering it confirms the change and updates the email immediately. eGov also encourages account holders to add a mobile number and, if they have one, link their eID card as a backup recovery method.

Residents who need help updating their account can contact the Department of eGovernment at +1 (345) 244-3621 or eservices@gov.ky .

‘GOING’ WITH THE FLOW

Flow (previously Cable and Wireless) has issued its own seven-point guideline to advise the public of the upcoming end of the ‘candywacky’ service and how to prepare for it.

“We understand that changing your email address can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve used it for many years. To help make this process as smooth as possible, we’ve prepared this simple step-by-step guide to walk you through everything you need to do before the service is discontinued,” it stated.

Flow had also warned that “Customer notifications will begin across email, website, social media, and public communication channels. During the transition period, some email functionalities may gradually become unavailable, including sending and receiving emails, before full access to the platform is eventually retired.”