The Bahamas’ Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is assessing the viability of introducing a third operator to the archipelago’s mobile market to compete with ALIV and BTC (Bahamas Telecommunications Company).
URCA’s evaluation is expected to take place across the first and second quarters of 2021.
The electronic communications sector policy in URCA’s Draft Annual Plan 2021 states: “the government of the Bahamas will consider whether further liberalisation of the mobile telephone market should be undertaken in the form of a third mobile operator. The policy requires that URCA provide advice and recommendations to the government on this matter, including a feasibility and market analysis to support any recommendations made.”
As reported by TeleGeography, BTC’s monopoly over the Bahamian market was finally broken in November 2016 by the launch of ALIV – the mobile unit of Cable Bahamas (REV) which won the country’s second licence at auction a year prior.
Only one licence was available at the time, with REV fending off a rival bid from Virgin Mobile Bahamas. LatAm group Digicel dropped out of the race due to concerns over the steep concession requirements.
