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Press Release : Addendum to Market Information Reporting Requirements for Specified Licensees in the Electronic Communications Sector (“ECS 28/2017”)

Written by URCA on

19 November, 2020

For Immediate Release

Today, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues an addendum to its document “Market Information Reporting Requirements for Specified Licensees in the Electronic Communications Sector Licensees”, (ECS 28/2017) for public consultation. The term “specified licensees” refers to holders of Individual Operating Licences (IOLs) and Class Operating Licences Requiring Registration (COLRRs). This include specified licensees providing fixed internet, pay TV services (include cable television), fixed telephony, mobile voice and mobile data and business connectivity services to residential and business customers in The Bahamas.

In accordance with ECS 28/2017, licensees are required to, inter alia, collect and report market data on a broad range of electronic communications services, collect and report market data on a granular/disaggregated level, and submit the reports to URCA in respect of the data collected on a quarterly and annual basis.  Against this backdrop, URCA now publishes this Addendum, ECS 16/2020, setting out additional market data needed to measure a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) under URCA’s organisational performance indicators (“OPIs”) framework.

The OPI framework is intended to ensure that the regulatory work URCA undertakes is more effective, relevant, timely and impactful when addressing industry needs, consumer preferences and government policy objectives. In order to satisfy the OPIs, the organization would need to use a blend of current and additional market information, amongst other relevant data. Therefore, the purpose of this addendum is to require licensees in the ECS to provide additional data needed to implement URCA’s OPIs. If necessary, URCA will consult separately on OPIs for the electricity sector (“ES”).

URCA therefore encourages full participation by specified licensees, stakeholders, interested parties, and members of the public during this consultation process. Respondents are invited to submit written comments and submissions within thirty (30) calendar days from the publication of this consultation document, on or before 5:00 pm, Monday 21 December 2020.

The full Consultation Document can be found here. 

 Respondents may submit written comments and submissions to URCA either:

  1. by hand to the Chief Executive Officer, Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority, Frederick House, Frederick Street, Nassau, Bahamas; or
  2. by email to info@urcabahamas.bs; or
  3. by mail to P.O. Box N-4860, Nassau, Bahamas; or
  4. by facsimile to (242) 393-0237.

URCA will publish all written responses on URCA’s website at www.urcabahamas.bs as soon as reasonably practicable after the close of the response date for this consultation document.

Media contact:

Mavis Johnson Collie

Corporate and Consumer Relations Manager

Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority

Nassau, The Bahamas

Email: info@urcabahamas.bs

Facsimile: (242) 393 0153