The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE BAHAMAS Telecommunications Company's (BTC) retail expansion is expected to generate significant entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians, its chief executive telling Tribune Business that 70-75 per cent of the outlets could be owned by locals. Speaking on the expansion of BTC's retail footprint, following the official launch of its 4G (fourth generation) network at its Mall at Marathon flagship store, Geoff Houston told Tribune Business: "I think we will have at least 40 to 50 locations which will be owned and managed by Bahamians, so how many entrepreneurs that translates into I'm not sure, but I would imagine at least 70 to 75 per cent of our distribution network would be owned by local entrepreneurs." He added: "It's quite a significant opportunity that I think will translate to hundreds of new jobs in the local marketplace; from people who supply the stores, those who work in the stores and rent for landlords. It's just going to stimulate a whole new side of the economy." Mr Houston said that in terms of the number of retail outlets BTC plans on rolling out, the numbers were constantly changing. "The numbers are changing all the time, so the numbers move anywhere from 50 to 60 to 65 stores across the Bahamas. We expect owning only maybe 20 or 25 of them max," he added. BTC's new $500,000 Mall at Marathon flagship is expected to be the standard for its retail outlets throughout the Bahamas. Mr Houston said. "What you see here today is the design standard that we would like to achieve at everyone of those locations. The kind of infrastructure we put in here, we would like that standard as well, so that we get that consistent delivery of excellent customer service. "This is the first one, and we expect to be refurbishing and putting in new ones at a rate of maybe two to three a month over the next 12 to 18 months. With BTC, this is not merely a new store but is an important next step in the evolution of BTC, as we embrace the mantra of better products, better value, better customer service and, ultimately, a better community." Mr Houston added: "Over the course of the next 12 months we will invest somewhere between $8-$10 million building up the infrastructure. We probably have invested a bit more than we should have in this one, but this is the one that sets the standard. This is the standard we want all of the stores to aspire to." The BTC chief executive said the company has invested $43 million in its 4G mobile network, and will spend that over the remainder of this year and into 2012 as it extends it coverto all the Bahamas. He said that by mid-2012, the company expects to have 4G network coverage across all the islands. Mr Houston said the launch of BTC's 4G network will put New Providence, and soon the entire Bahamas, on par with some of the most advanced telecommunications networks in the world. The launch of 4G fulfills a key commitment that Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) made when it purchased 51 per cent of the company back in April. In August, BTC eliminated all connection charges for cell phone calls made within the Bahamas, doing away with long distance connection charges between islands and creating a single domestic rate structure. It has also unveiled a range of money-saving summer promotions, introduced online and retail location topping up of minutes for pre-paid customer,s and announced plans to transform telecom buying, servicing and payment experiences throughout the Bahamas within the next two years.