The Tribune

The Bahamas’ second mobile operator said yesterday it had met all “milestones and obligations” for cellular coverage and infrastructure roll-out as required by its license, its sales and marketing head arguing it has “the best network in the Caribbean”.

NewCo 2015 unveiled six retail locations on New Providence for its Aliv brand, with vice-president of sales and marketing, Johnny Ingle, telling Tribune Business the company employs more than 150 Bahamians.

“Every dollar spent at an Aliv retail store stays here in the Bahamas. We are a 100 per cent, Bahamian-owned business,” said Mr Ingle, a former Digicel executive.

    “Our expectations are very high. From the investment that has gone in in terms of financial and human resources, we expect the Bahamian public to bring their choice to us because we have listened to them.

“We will only grow because we have built our business on the information we received from the people. We took our advice and guidance from months of research. People want a network that works, a better data experience. They are sick of dropped calls and not understanding what they are paying for.”

    The new mobile provider was charged with achieving 99 per cent network population coverage in New Providence, and 80 per cent population coverage in Grand Bahama (Freeport), within three months of its license award on July 1, 2016.

“We have an obligation to provide 99 per cent population coverage within three years. We have met all milestones to date, and our obligations,” Mr Ingle said.

“We open our retail footprint on November 23. We then move to Grand Bahama where we open a retail footprint. We then move on to Abaco and Eleuthera. In early 2017 we will continue our roll-out.”

Aliv’s first six retail locations on New Providence will open tomorrow. They are: Carey’s Shopping Centre on Prince Charles Drive; The Mall at Marathon; Rosetta Street in Palmdale; The Shoppes at Carmichael; Southwest Plaza, Carmichael Road; and Old Fort Bay Town Centre.

“For Aliv, retail is about relationships,” Mr Ingle said. “Our people love meeting our new customers - and at this point, everybody is a new customer - and we love hearing how we can make you happy. Our retail locations are the places where we can serve you, and excellent customer service is the foundation of our company.”

All six stores will be open six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

“We want to be available at our customers’ convenience,” Mr Ingle explained. “At all of our locations, customers can experience the devices we will be offering in a wide range of cost options that will suit just about everybody, starting as low as $59.”

Mr Ingle said customers will be able to choose the phone and service package they want at a low-cost bundle rate.

“Our plans include unlimited seven-day and 30-day options to suit whatever makes sense for your life,” Mr Ingle said.

“There are no contracts - we want you to stay with us because you want to, not because of a contract.”