The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunication Company plans to introduce internet protocol television (IPTV) in early 2015 and has already started beta testing it in the Family Islands, including Andros and Cat Island.

Phil Bentley, CEO of Cable and Wireless, says his company has already launched a TV product in several Caribbean islands and is looking forward to offering IPTV to its customers in the Bahamas.

Mr Bentley and Leon Williams, CEO of BTC, were in Grand Bahama yesterday meeting with managers and company executives at the Grand Lucaya Resort to discuss plans on “The Way Forward” for BTC.

During a press conference, he noted that they would be launching TV in 11 markets across the region over the next 12 months.

“Customers are buying packages of services with broadband, fixed line and TV together, and we want to be able to offer a TV product … that we want to be successful and add value to the package of service that BTC offers customers,” Mr Bentley said.

Mr Bentley stated that Cable and Wireless is “firmly focused” solely on the Caribbean markets, the Bahamas, and Central America. Plans are to invest $1 billion to upgrade the network across all their markets over the next three years, he said. “The Bahamas is the second most important market we have and we will spend a significant amount of the $1bn here in the Bahamas across New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.”

Cable and Wireless has approved $65m for BTC this year and Mr Bentley said “there will be more to come in the second and third year”.

The money will be invested in four areas: improving mobile reliability, fixed and mobile convergence, TV and communication and data services for commercial and financial sector.

“These are very exciting times for Cable and Wireless and for BTC. We are aware that a new mobile engine is going to be coming into the market and it is our job to make sure we are ready for the competition. We look forward to competition and are ready to fight the competition with the best network and service offer from BTC.”

He noted that TV is changing from linear to non-linear, allowing people to watch whatever they want when they want to.

Mr Bentley said Cable and Wireless now has fibre optic cables connected to homes in Panama, the Cayman Islands, Barbados and St Lucia that offer speeds up to 100 megabits per second that allow customers to have a set top box to record, playback, download and stream TV programmes.

“You watch what you want at the time that suits you on the device that suits you,” he said. “You can download it and put it on your mobile phone or iPad. That is what IPTV about. We offer customers in Barbados 150 channels, HD programmes and we want to launch it here in the Bahamas,” he said.

Mr Williams said they hope to get BTC TV on stream by January and March of next year and provide an alternative to cable TV.

“We have beta testing in Andros and Cat Island. We will offer ZNS, the Parliament Channel and other local Bahamian content that will be streamed, and customers will have a choice of packages, to bundle them with mobile and fixed line,” he said.

Mr Williams said beta testing will continue until Christmas.