Consultations

ECS 01/2022 Preliminary Determination Retail Cellular Mobile Market Review and Assessment under Section 39(1) and (2) of the Communications Act, 2009

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issued a Preliminary Determination on its Retail Cellular Mobile Market Review and Assessment in accordance with Section 39(1) of the Communications Act, 2009. The exercise fulfills the Regulator’s statutory mandate to complete periodic reviews of the country’s mobile sector and is the first

25 March, 2022

URCA 2021 Annual Report and 2022 Annual Plan

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) is pleased to publish its Draft Annual Plan and Budget for 2022 (URCA/2022). This document outlines: A brief review of URCA’s achievements in 2021: URCA’s focus areas and key priorities for 2022; URCA’s key projects for 2022, including its planned consultation schedule for

16 March, 2022

ES11/2021 Cost-Effectiveness Tariff Policy for Renewable Energy Self-Generation Projects RESG and SSRG

This consultation document sets out for consultation with interested stakeholders proposed revised Economic Cost-Based Tariff or Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) methodology and policy for Renewable Energy Self-Generation (RESG) projects advanced by the Government and small-scale business or commercial enterprises. The objectives of the consultation are to present and discuss

20 October, 2021

URCA 03/2021 – URCA’s Standard Consultation Procedures – Consultation Document

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has released its updated Standard Consultation Procedures (SCP) and made them available for public consultation. The SCP document sets out URCA’s proposed policy, guidelines and procedure for engaging relevant stakeholders in consultation for regulatory and decision making measures moving forward. Public consultation of

23 August, 2021

ES 08/2021 URCA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Scheme for Disputes between Licensees and Independent Power Producers for the Electricity Sector in The Bahamas

URCA issues this consultation document on the draft ADR Scheme for the ES which is encapsulated in the Rules annexed to this consultation document (“the Draft Rules”). URCA proposes to apply the Draft Rules to licensees who have been issued a Public Electricity Supplier License (“PESL”), Authorised Public Electricity Supplier

9 July, 2021

ECS 08/2021 – Request for Applications – FM Radio Broadcast Frequencies

The Utilities Regulations and Competition Authority (URCA) issues this document comprising a Request for Applications (RFA) for an Individual Spectrum Licence (ISL) to use the frequency 90.7 MHz or 105.7 MHz in the FM Radio Broadcast Band (88 MHz – 108 MHz) to provide FM radio broadcast service in the

9 July, 2021

ECS 02/2021 First Round Responses the Review of Wholesale Broadband Access Services Preliminary Determination

On 26 February 2021, URCA launched a two-round consultation process in respect of the subject matter. We have completed the first round of consultation, and now we wish to invite written comments on the views of the first-round respondents.

14 April, 2021

ECS 06/2020 Be Aliv and Cable Bahamas Response to URCA Draft Annual Plan 2021

Be Aliv Limited (Aliv) and Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL) thank The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) for the opportunity to comment on its draft annual plan for 2021. The work carried out by URCA has a significant impact on the consumers and operators in the regulated sectors, and we

30 March, 2021

ECS 06/2020 BTC Response to URCA Draft Annual Plan 2021

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) Draft Annual Plan for 2021 (the “Draft Annual Plan”).

30 March, 2021

ECS 04/2021 CONSULTATION DOCUMENT FOR CABLE BAHAMAS LIMITED’S APPLICATION FOR THE REPACKAGING OF REVTV OFFERS

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (‘URCA’) received applications from Cable Bahamas Limited (‘CBL’) requesting URCA’s approval to restructure its REVTV offers for residential and business pay television subscribers. The application for residential REVTV offers was submitted on 27 October 2020 followed by the application for business REVTV offers on

19 March, 2021

ES 02/2021 Proposed Tariff Review Framework, Guidelines and Procedures for Public Electricity Suppliers

The purpose of this consultation document is to present a framework, and an outline of the principles, methodologies and procedures that URCA proposes to use in the rate-setting exercise and to elicit comments and inputs from all stakeholders. The objectives of the Tariff Review function include: Protecting consumers from paying

10 March, 2021

ECS 02/2021 Review of draft wholesale Dedicated Internet Access reference offers from BTC and CBL under Sections 39 and 40 of the Communications Act, 2009

In this document, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) invites interested parties to review and comment on The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (“BTC”) and Cable Bahamas Ltd. (“CBL”) proposed terms and conditions for their regulated wholesale Dedicated Internet Access (“WDIA”) services, as set out in their published draft WDIA

26 February, 2021

ES 01/2021 Preliminary Determination and Draft Order on BPL Renewable Energy Plan 2020

The Government of The Bahamas intends for renewable energy to form a significant portion of the power consumed in the country. The target is 30% renewables by 2030. This renewable energy will offset that currently generated from fossil fuels. Part V of the Electricity Act, 2016 (EA) mandates public electricity

23 February, 2021

ECS: 16/2020 Addendum to Market Information Reporting Requirements for Specified Licensees in the Electronic Communications Sector (“ECS 28/2017”)

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this consultation document on the proposed addendum to the Market Information Reporting Requirements for Specified Licensees in the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS 28/2017)[1] issued on 20 December 2017. In accordance with ECS 28/2017, licensees are required to, inter alia, collect and report

19 November, 2020

ES 11/2020 CONSUMER PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN THE BAHAMAS CONSULTATION DOCUMENT

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (‘URCA’) is the independent regulator and competition authority for the Electricity Sector (ES) in The Bahamas. URCA is responsible for the licensing of all generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity within, into, from or through The Bahamas. URCA regulates the ES through the

28 September, 2020

ES 11/2020 CONSUMER PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN THE BAHAMAS

URCA issues this consultation document on the draft Consumer Protection Regulations for the Electricity Sector in The Bahamas (‘the Draft Regulations’). URCA proposes to apply the Draft Regulations to licensees who have been issued a Public Electricity Suppliers Licence (PESL) or an Authorised Public Electricity Suppliers Licence (APESL). The objectives

28 September, 2020

ECS 12/2020 Disaster Management Regulations for the Electronic Communications Sector in The Bahamas (Second Round)

On 6 April 2020, URCA published a consultation document under the caption Disaster Management Regulations for the Electronic Communications Sector in The Bahamas, which is referred to as ECS 03/2020 (the “First Consultation on Disaster Management Regulations”). The full text of ECS 03/2020 is available on URCA’s website. The purpose

18 September, 2020

ECS 12/2020 Disaster Management Regulations for the Electronic Communications Sector in The Bahamas Public Consultation Document (Second Round)

28 August, 2020

ECS 09/2020 Consultation on the proposed changes to the Reference Access and Interconnection Offer published by The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues for consultation a review of the changes The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (“BTC”) proposes to make to the Reference Access and Interconnection Offer (“RAIO”). A RAIO sets out the price and non-price terms and conditions under which an SMP[1] operator like BTC

17 August, 2020

ECS 04 2020 First Round Responses to the Review of Wholesale Broadband Access Services Preliminary Determination

Today, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) published on its website the first-round responses received to its Preliminary Determination on the Review of Wholesale Broadband Access Services under Sections 39 and 40 of the Communications Act, 2009 (ECS 04/2020). On 27 April 2020, URCA launched a two-round consultation process

17 June, 2020

URCA Consultations