General

ECS 73/2024 – Public Consultation on Roadmap to Enable 5G Deployment in The Bahamas

• In a first step, URCA conducted a consultation in late 2023 to better understand and develop an evidence base for the current and expected demand for enhanced internet connectivity and 5G-enabled services in The Bahamas. This revealed that end users are primarily focused on receiving reliable internet access at decent speeds, with the main future demand use cases being tourism and national security/law enforcement. Additionally, operators view 5G as a natural evolution to improve network capacity, but they emphasize the need for a supportive regulatory and policy environment to facilitate its rollout in due time.
• In a second step URCA is now working closely with the Government of The Bahamas and industry stakeholders to identify and address any outstanding regulatory and policy issues, in order to develop a roadmap to enable 5G deployment in The Bahamas. This phase will include stakeholder meetings, consultations on the draft framework, and finalization of the framework.

• by mail to P.O. Box N 4860, Nassau, Bahamas; or
• by email, to info@urcabahamas.bs.

Downloads

ECS 72/2024 – Licence Review Consultation Document and Annexes

• to further the policy objectives of the ECS as provided in Section 4 of the Comms Act;
• to set out URCA’s Proposed Revised Licences and Exemptions;
• to set out URCA’s rationale for the proposed Revised Licences and Exemptions;
• to set out URCA’s draft Revised Licences and Exemptions documents;
• to set out URCA’s proposed process for renewal of licences and exemptions;
• to set out URCA’s proposed approach to the payment of licence fees by delinquent licensees; and
• to invite feedback/written comments from stakeholders, licensees, and other interested persons on the matters contained in the Consultation Document.

• by mail to P.O. Box N 4860, Nassau, Bahamas; or
• by email, to info@urcabahamas.bs.

Downloads

ECS 70/2024 – Proposed Revision of the Code of Practice for Content Regulation

Downloads

ES – Public Register of Licensees

Downloads

Public Register of: Individual Licensees and Class Licensees Requiring Registration

Downloads

NOTICE: Revocation of Licence

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this Notice in accordance with section 8(1)(e) Communications Act, 2009 (“Comms Act”). TAKE NOTICE that on 14 September 2022 URCA issued a Final Determination, having determined that IP Solutions International Ltd. (“the Licensee”) breached Conditions 4.1 and 4.4 of the Individual Operating Licence (“the Licence”) issued by URCA to the Licensee on 28 October 2009;

Revocation of Licence

Downloads

ECS 71/2024 – SOR and Final Determination Retail Fixed Market Review 2024

URCA published its Consultation Document on the preliminary Retail Fixed Market Review on 28 February 2024 (“Consultation Document”, or “Preliminary Determination”).1 The Consultation Document set out, inter alia, the following:

• URCA’s preliminary views on the competitive dynamics in the retail fixed services markets in The Bahamas, in terms of the proposed market definitions for the retail services considered in this market review, and the preliminary results of URCA’s dominance assessment in each defined market;

• the proposed ex-ante remedies to be imposed on operators with significant market power (SMP), including the underlying market failures these seek to address; and

• invite comments from stakeholders on the matters set out in the Consultation Document.

The closing date for the submission to URCA of initial responses to the Preliminary Determination ended on 29 May 2024, and the comments on initial responses ended on 10 June 2024. By the 10 June 2024 closing date, URCA had received first and second-round comments from two parties:

• Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (‘BTC’); and

• Cable Bahamas Limited/Be Aliv Limited (‘CBL’).

Copies of all responses and opening written submissions may be downloaded from URCA’s website at www.urcabahamas.bs.

Downloads

ES 05/2024 – Statement of Results and Next Steps – URCA Audit of the Performance and Organizational Maturity of Bahamas Power and Light

In this document, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues its State-

ment of Results and Next Step with respect to the Performance and Maturity Audit (Efficiency

Audit) of Bahamas Power and Light Company Limited (BPL).

URCA engaged the services of a group of Consultants, Castalia Advisors and LCI Inc., to carry out

a performance and organizational maturity audit of BPL (the Audit). The objective of the Audit

was to establish baseline performance indicators and develop a regulatory roadmap for URCA to

monitor BPL’s performance.

The broad tasks included the following (to):

• Carry out a full and comprehensive assessment of BPL’s performance and the maturity of

its organization, systems, and processes.

• Develop an Excel-based tool to collect and process BPL’s technical, operational, and finan-

cial data for the performance audit. The tool will also allow URCA to calculate and track

indicators, monitor BPL’s performance and, as necessary, carry out its own audits of BPL’s

performance in the future. URCA will also be able to use this approach for assessing the

performance of other companies with Public Electricity Supplier Licences.

• Assess the factors in BPL’s external environment that may be affecting its ability to per-

form well.

• Recommend actions that BPL, URCA, and the Government could take to improve the per-

formance of BPL and the electricity sector in The Bahamas.

The Audit exercise and the draft final and Final reports was completed over a period spanning six

(6) months. The Audit commenced on 29 September 2023 with a kick-off meeting between

URCA’s team and the Consultants. The Final Report was concluded and submitted to URCA on 24

March 2024.

Castalia and LCI conducted an audit of BPL's performance and maturity using various tools and

approaches. These included reviewing data and documents related to BPL and its sector, utilizing

an Excel-based diagnostic tool for scoring performance and maturity, administering self-assess-

ment surveys, conducting legal and regulatory reviews, analysing trends in key performance indi-

cators, benchmarking against similar utilities, and conducting interviews and focus groups with

BPL management and staff.

The audit findings report covers the methodology used despite limited data availability, analyses

external factors affecting BPL's performance, assesses the impact of the regulatory framework,

evaluates BPL's performance and maturity across five functions, and provides recommendations

for URCA to encourage BPL's improvement while ensuring sector sustainability.

Downloads

URCA 04/2024 – Statement of Results and Final Decision – Revision of the Competition Guidelines

In this document, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues its Statement of Results and Next Steps with respect to URCA’s Public Consultation on the revision of the existing Competition Guidelines.

URCA published its Consultation Document on the proposed revisions to the Competition Guidelines on 21 December 2023 (“Consultation Document”).1 The Consultation Document set out, inter alia, the following:

• the objectives and the approach adopted by URCA with respect to the revision of the Competition Guidelines;
• a summary overview of the key proposed amendments to the Competition Guidelines;
• to invite comments from stakeholders on the matters set out in the Consultation Document.

URCA also conducted on 18 January 2024 a half-day seminar at its offices in addition to being streamed by zoom. The seminar was attended to by licensees and members of the general public.

The responses to the Consultation Document were due on 21 February 2024.

URCA replies to the main comments it has received from BTC and the CBL Group and sets out its next steps. In doing so, URCA expressly states that the absence on its part of a response in this document to any comment made by any of the respondents does not necessarily signify URCA’s agreement in whole or in part with such comment, that URCA has not considered such comment, or that URCA considers the comment immaterial or without merit.

Downloads