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…
In the matter of: Suspected Breach of Licence Conditions 9, and 17.2 and Sections 25 and 26 under the Electricity Act, 2015 (ES 05/2018) The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has today published a Consultation Document, which addresses suspected breaches in relation to BPL's obligation to furnish a renewable electricity plan and procedures for the procurement of utility scale renewable electricity generation within a defined period. This Public Consultation Document is listed under the above-captioned title as ES 05/2018 on URCA's website, www.urcabahamas.bs The objectives of this consultation document are as follows: Set out the legal framework under which…
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has today published a Final Determination and Order to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (‘BTC’) and Be Aliv Limited (‘Aliv’) (the Parties) relating to their interconnection rate dispute which was submitted to URCA by BTC on 15 August 2017. By way of background, Aliv’s mobile phone numbers are non-geographic. Therefore, numbers cannot be used to identify the point of call origination from Aliv’s mobile network. BTC contended that this makes it difficult for BTC to measure the volume of intra- and inter-island traffic from Aliv's subscribers to BTC's fixed subscribers and apply the…
