Author Archive

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Statement of Results (ECS 17/2020) and Disaster Management Regulations for The Electronic Communications Sector in The Bahamas (ECS 18/2020) The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has today simultaneously published the Statement of Results (ECS 17/2020) and Disaster Management Regulations for the Electronic Communications Sector in The Bahamas (ECS 18/2020) (the “Disaster Management Regulations”).  The publication of these Regulations follows two rounds of Public Consultation, the second of which concluded on 30 October 2020. The purpose of these Regulations is to ensure network resilience and encourage the rapid restoration of Critical Electronic Communications Infrastructure and services after…

Read More

Revised Fee Schedule 2020

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has today issued its Revised Fee Schedule 2020. The new Fee Schedule includes fees payable in 2020 related to URCA’s regulation of both the Electronic Communication Sector (ECS) and Electricity Sector (ES). The Fee Schedule established the revised URCA Fee for 2020, which is based on URCA’s draft Budget for 2020 published on 24 December 2019(URCA 08/2019). Based on URCA Budget 2019 calculations, the ECS URCA Fee is set at 1.094% of relevant turnover, while the ES URCA Fee is set at .3837% of relevant turnover. Publication of the fee schedule is in accordance…

Read More

PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE: STATEMENT OF RESULTS AND FINAL DECISION (ES 12/2020) - CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSED CONSUMER PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN THE BAHAMAS 9 December 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today, the Utilities Regulations and Competition Authority (“URCA”) as the independent Regulator for the Electricity Sector (ES) in The Bahamas issues this Statement of Results and Final Decision to its Public Consultation Document- Consumer Protection Regulations for the Electricity Sector in The Bahamas [ES/11/2020] pursuant to section 64 of the Electricity Act 2015 (EA). URCA continues to regulate the ES in accordance with the overarching principles established in the National…

Read More

Press Release: Final Determination (ECS 15/2020) – Consultation on the proposed changes to the Reference Access and Interconnection Offer published by The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited

For Immediate Release The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) has today confirmed its decision to approve the terms and conditions upon which The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (“BTC”) will permit direct mobile interconnection for Other Licensed Operators’ (“OLOs”) traffic. Direct mobile interconnection is a wholesale service that OLOs must have to physically link their networks to BTC’s mobile switch and to route and exchange traffic. Today’s decision requires BTC to incorporate the updated terms and conditions for the service into its Reference Access and Interconnection Offer (“RAIO”) and provide URCA with a copy for review and final approval. In…

Read More