Statement of Results and Final Determination on Mobile Market Review Assessment
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS (15 July 2022): The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issued a Statement of Results and Final Determination on its Retail Cellular Mobile Market Review and Assessment in accordance with Section 39(1) of the Communications Act, 2009. It is the first review since mobile liberalization in 2016 and forms the basis for several key determinations by the Regulator.
URCA’s ‘Final Determination’ concludes that neither of the two national mobile network operators (MNOs); BTC and ALIV, hold a dominant position in the market. As such, the Regulator determined that certain ex ante regulatory rules put in place in 2016 and meant to prevent abuse by the identified Significant Market Power (SMP) are no longer relevant as the newcomer has captured significant market share in the past six years.
The Regulator says the removal of certain ex ante regulations will take effect 30 July 2022. Specifically, BTC will no longer be required to notify URCA or receive URCA’s approval prior to introducing new mobile only services or changing the price or non-price terms and conditions of mobile only services. The Regulator notes that the removal of this regulatory requirement does not apply to mobile services that are bundled with fixed services. Additionally, URCA has eliminated the need for BTC to submit its bi-annual margin squeeze test on its mobile services and BTC is no longer required to submit Accounting Separation and Cost Accounting results in relation to its retail mobile activities as of its 2022 financial period.
The Regulator advises that elimination of these ex-ante regulatory measures and the possible inclusion of other measures may be revisited if a future market review determines that competition in the retail mobile cellular market is not benefiting Bahamian consumers.
The Statement of Results and Final Determination on URCA’s competition assessment of the Retail Cellular Mobile Market in The Bahamas is available on URCA’s website (www.urcabahamas.bs).
Click here to view.
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Media Contact:
Arnette Ingraham
Corporate and Consumer Relations Manager
Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority
Telephone: (242) 396-5242
Email: aingraham@urcabahamas.bs
