THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) chief executive says the newly-privatised carrier’s fourth generation (4G) network has sparked a 60 per cent increase in cellular voice traffic, with mobile data up 800 per cent.

Speaking to the Abaco Business Outlook on an 18-month, $42.8 million upgrade of BTC’s cellular network, Geoff Houston said: “What we saw when we upgraded our mobile offerings was an almost insatiable appetite among Bahamians for the latest devices, the fastest downloads, the newest, the best.

“When we launched 4G (the fastest download speeds available worldwide), mobile voice traffic increased by 60 per cent. Mobile data was up by 800 per cent. Before we upgraded, 3 per cent of our sales were smart phones.

“Today, nearly half of all our phone sales are smart phones.”

The project to overhaul BTC’s cellular network dominated the company’s agenda in the first year following the April 2011 privatisation.

“The platform created a brand new wireless experience,” said Mr Houston. “As part of a $3 billion conglomerate, instead of a $350 million standalone, BTC has been able to benefit from greater buying power. That allowed us to slash our mobile data plans by 25 per cent.

“We reduced post paid charges. We reduced the cost of pre-paid minutes. We eliminated inter-island toll charges for calls originating from mobile phones. We are launching 4G in all the islands and hope to have that completed well before the end of this year.

“Andros and Cat Island are complete. Long Island should be done by mid-October.

“Most of New Providence and Grand Bahama are complete with a few areas still being worked on.”

BTC’s spokesman, Jerome Sawyer, said the company aims to finish the build-out with enhanced 2G for voice, and 4G for data, by year-end.

“We replaced the antiquated legacy 2G platform for voice with a new 2G platform for a better voice experience,” he said. “Here in Abaco, where we have installed new cell sites, you only have to think back two years ago to what it was like. If you had turned around in your own house, you would have lost a call. Or if it rained or if you were out of range of a cell site.”

There are now 42 cell sites in Abaco, second in number only to New Providence with 46. There are 183 cell sites throughout the Bahamas.

“We have discovered that a lot of customers still do not know the benefits of high speed data and how it can improve their lives, so we will be launching an educational campaign in the coming weeks to demonstrate those benefits and ensure that everyone understands how it can work for them personally or for their business,” said Mr Sawyer.

“What’s especially rewarding is that these upgrades have allowed us to provide universal service to our customers, so no matter how remote your settlement is, you can enjoy the same level of service that the most sophisticated office in New York or London has.

“BTC subscribers in Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco, Cat Island and now even Andros can enjoy the same level of service as family and friends in New rovidence and Grand Bahama. And when we undertake the next phase the Bahamas will be on par, if not ahead, of some developed countries in telecommunications.”