The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is pleased to announce the publication of its 2023 Annual Report and the 2024 Annual Plan, in compliance with section 41 of the URCA Act 2009. These documents are foundational to URCA's mission of “Improving lives through effective utility regulation,” underscoring a commitment to transparency, integrity, and progressive utility management. The 2023 Annual Report, themed “Toward a Digital Bahamas,” details URCA's pivotal advancements in regulating the electronic communications and electricity sectors. Key highlights from the report include comprehensive performance metrics of URCA’s regulated sectors throughout 2023; accomplishments of critical objectives that reflect URCA's…
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), responsible for the regulation of the electronic communications and electricity sectors in The Bahamas, today published its Statement of Results from the public consultation on the Draft Annual Plan for 2024. This document outlines URCA's responses to feedback received from stakeholders and details the next steps in finalizing its strategic and operational direction for the coming year. After inviting comments from stakeholders, URCA received valuable insights from the Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC), Cable Bahamas Limited and Be Aliv Limited (CBL Group), and individual contributor Samuel Samon Thompson. The feedback provided a critical analysis…
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) announces its preliminary findings and invites public commentary on the review of the state of competition within the markets for retail fixed electronic communications services in The Bahamas. This encompasses retail fixed voice, retail fixed broadband, and retail pay TV services. In its comprehensive Preliminary Determination, URCA has outlined its provisional assessment of the competitive dynamics within these markets and the consequent need for continued ex-ante regulation to ensure fair competition and consumer protection. URCA is now seeking feedback on its initial stance through written responses to consultation questions detailed in the document. …
