The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – REPRESENTATIVES got an earful of why Cable Bahamas does not deserve a price increase in its Super Basic cable television package.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has held several public meetings already to get feedback from Bahamians concerning an application by Cable Bahamas to raise the cost of its super basic service by 27 per cent.

While there have been large turnouts in New Providence and the Family Islands, the inclement weather and date change may have been the reasons for the low attendance in Grand Bahama last week.

The town meeting in Freeport was initially scheduled for October 2.

Vincent Wallace-Whitfield, general counsel at URCA, and Stephen Bereaux, Director of Policy and Regulation, told persons attending the meeting at the Pestaina Hall of Christ the King in Freeport that public consultation on the proposed price increase would end on October 19.

There were complaints about the quality of service, the billing cycle, extra fees charged to consumers, such as installation cost of digital boxes and high reconnection fee, among other things.

Grand Bahama resident Floyd Farquharson was strongly opposed to the price increase.

“I, with great disdain, would hate to see you give Cable Bahamas this increase, he said.

“It would be the most atrocious thing that government has done to its people by creating a body as URCA to inflict pain on consumers.”

Cable Bahamas proposed to price increase for residential consumers from $30 to $38, and from $50 to $63.50 for business customers.

Mr Farquharson believes that an affordable basic TV package should be $5 or $10 per month for those super basic channels.

He believes that Cable Bahamas is already extracting too much from consumers. He took issue with the company’s billing cycle, and the extra fees it charges for penalties, installation cost of digital boxes in separate rooms, and the $40 reconnection fee.

“URCA must ensure that Cable Bahamas has a set billing cycle, not a billing cycle that has 3 weeks of the month, where if you don’t pay by the 20th they tack on $5.30- It is an illegal system that is employed in the US and it should not be permitted here,” Farquharson said.

He also wanted to know whether permission was given to Cable Bahamas to charge a $40 reconnection fee to consumers.

Jameek Sands, a resident of Lucaya, was concerned about the quality of service, particularly the ongoing channel blackouts by Cable Bahamas.

She said wanted to know the rate that are currently being charged in other Caribbean countries.

Mr Bereaux said URCA can only regulate super basic service provided by Cable Bahamas.

He stated that the company has submitted benchmarks from 25 Caribbean countries and the cost of their basic cable package. He noted that the rates range from country to country, but the average rate was $37.60.

C Allen Johnson said that Cable Bahamas had been a very profitable company. He noted that largest single shareholder of Cable Bahamas is the government of the Bahamas.

He believes that basic cable service is should be provided free of charge to schools, nursing homes, etc.

URCA will hold town meeting a second meeting for New Providence on October 16 at 6:30 p.m. at a location to be determined.

Comments can be submitted in writing to URCA or e-mailed to info@urcabahamas.bs; faxed to 242-393-0153; or hand delivered to URCA’s office.