The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) says its move to end the monthly Vibe package flat rate for unlimited calls is designed to drive customers to the “almost 50 per cent cheaper” prices offered by its newly-launched Home Phone Plus package.

Marlon Johnson, BTC’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing, said the carrier’s landline offering would give consumers better quality service and eliminate set-up costs, plus end its existing Vibe partnership with a US firm.

Confirming that BTC will phase out the monthly flat rate for unlimited Vibe calls come October 15, 2013, Mr Johnson told Tribune Business: “A couple of things are happening.

“We now have a competitive package on your home phone and fixed line. What we want to start now is the evolution of customers on to our Home Phone Plus package, and away from the Vibe package on which we rely on a foreign company to provide.

“The Vibe contract is done through a partnership with a US company, whose name I don’t have permission to call. Now we have a competitive package in the market, we can move customers on.”

BTC’s Vibe package is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) based, meaning it requires Internet connectivity to carry voice traffic from the caller to the receiver.

By switching to a ‘home phone’ landline, Mr Johnson told Tribune Business BTC’s clients would no longer have to rely on the Internet, something that should improve service quality and eliminate the extra costs associated with Vibe set-up.

“We want to make sure customers understand the advantages of doing this,” Mr Johnson said, with Tribune Business understanding there has been some resistance by customers to the carrier’s plans.

He added that the unlimited Vibe package cost $34.99 per month, in comparison to the Home Phone Plus offer of $18.74 - a 46.5 per cent drop.

“It’s much better value,” Mr Johnson said. “Customers looking for a bargain will understand that, and we want to encourage them to use a more affordable product than Vibe and check it out. It’s a much better deal, and customers will understand that.”