Today the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority, URCA published its Statement of Results and Final Decision (SOR) with regards to the Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) Consumer Protection Plan (CPP). In accordance with the Electricity Act, (EA), BPL is mandated to produce a Consumer Protection Plan which must then be vetted by URCA. Following established consultation rules, and after an initial review and revision of the document, URCA engaged the public in an extensive period of consultation holding town meetings throughout several family islands and New Providence. At the conclusion of the consultation process, the legislation requires URCA to review…
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this Notice in accordance with Section 8(1)(e) of the Communications Act, 2009 and Section 9 of the URCA Consultation Procedure Guidelines – 04/2017. On 13 July 2018 URCA published on its website Consultation Document – ECS 08/2018 which provided FM radio broadcasters, members of the public and other interested parties the opportunity to submit to URCA written responses to the proposed technical standards for FM radio broadcasting in The Bahamas and other related matters. The consultation period closed on 13 August 2018 and URCA is concerned that it has not received any…
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has today published a Final Determination on the requirement for The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (“BTC”) and Cable Bahamas Ltd. (“CBL”) to continue to offer a resale fixed broadband product. The determination also addresses the need for both operators to update their current product offerings to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and in-line with market developments. By way of background, URCA imposed an obligation as part of its 2010 Final Decision (ECS 11/2010) for both BTC and CBL to offer a resale fixed broadband product in the respective geographic markets where they were considered…
On 22 December 2015 the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) published its consultation document “Technical Standards Framework for FM Radio Broadcasting in The Bahamas – ECS 07/2015” (the First Consultation), setting out proposed technical standards mainly aimed at reducing harmful interference and improving the quality of reception in FM radio broadcasting. The First Consultation closed on 12 February 2016. In the First Consultation, URCA invited comments from interested parties on the matters set out therein, and URCA received three (3) responses to that consultation. URCA reviewed the comments of the respondents to the First Consultation and URCA again engaged…
