The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

CABLE Bahamas is "absolutely" still interested in breaking into the cellular market once the Bahamas Telecommunications Company's (BTC) monopoly ends in 2014-2015, given that it aims to be this nation's communications provider of choice.

Speaking at the official launch of the BISX-listed communications operator's video-on-demand platform, 500 REVTV on Demand, Mark Cabrelli, Cable Bahamas' vice-president of marketing and sales, said: "All opportunities in the communications market Cable Bahamas would love to be a part of.

"We would like to move into all sorts of areas of communications. We are really trying to establish the company as being the communications provider of choice for the Bahamas. Cellular service is absolutely still an interest, but right now there's still a monopoly situation with only one license in the Bahamas, which BTC has.

"That license is on for another couple of years before another license will be issued. At that time, it's a business opportunity the company would love to be a part of." The Bahamian cellular market is currently dominated by BTC's three-year post-privatisation monopoly.

Cable Bahamas officially launched its fixed-line offering, ReVoice, last November via its subsidiary Systems Resource Group (SRG), adding the final piece to the company's 'Triple Play' communications, together with RevTV and ReVon constituting its cable television and Internet offerings, respectively. On the fixed-voice side, BTC was estimated to have a 98 per cent market share, with Cable Bahamas inheriting 2 per cent from SRG.