By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government’s long-awaited Electronic Communications Sector policy pledges to bridge the ‘Digital Divide’ that has left 30,000 Bahamian households without broadband Internet, deeming this essential for “further and faster” economic growth.

The sector policy, released extremely quietly on Friday via the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) website, is at least 13 months late given that its predecessor expired in March 2013.

The policy’s April 4, 2014, issue date clearly indicates that its completion and release were timed to coincide with the end to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) cellular monopoly - which expired two days later.

The policy document published by URCA gives the date of its official ‘Gazzetting’ by the Government as April 23, 2014, although there is no explanation as to why it has taken another two months to be released to communications players and the Bahamian public.

It is largely a ‘mission statement’ of goals and objectives, although it provides little detail on how many of them are to be achieved.

Focusing on broadband Internet connectivity as a key driver of economic growth and social empowerment, the sector policy noted that this had increased from 61 households out of 100 in 2011 to 72 per 100 homes by the following year.

While this was “encouraging” and meant another 10,000 homes were connected to the Internet, the policy document added: “The Government continues to note that there remain an estimated 30,000 households in the Bahamas........

“For the Bahamas to achieve its full potential, the development [broadband Internet connectivity] must reach all of its residents, and therefore the failure of the Bahamas’ electronic communications infrastructure and services to reach any resident is a matter of concern.”

The Government was said to be “particularly concerned” about the Bahamas’ performance when it came to broadband Internet connectivity, even though subscription penetration grew 25 per cent in 2012 to 22 persons per 100.

“If the continued growth of the Bahamian economy is desired, and the electronic communications sector is accepted to play a critical role, further and faster development is needed,” the sector policy added.

“It is of critical importance that the Bahamas, as an archipelagic nation, acknowledges and never drops the ball on electronic communications as a key component in its development and nationhood.”

Little new was said on the end of BTC’s cellular monopoly, and no timetable for the process of awarding a second cellular licence was provided. The policy effectively repeated what has been oft-said, namely that the absence of cellular competition was “an impediment to the social and economic development of the Bahamas”.

“The lack of choice in the Bahamas reduces the incentives for BTC, currently the monopoly provider, to achieve the highest quality and best prices which would truly drive social and economic prosperity,” the policy added.

It called for URCA to take all steps to facilitate the introduction of cellular competition in the Bahamas “as expeditiously as possible”, and deal with issues such as infrastructure sharing, interconnection agreements and anti-competitive issues such as the bundling of products and services.

The communications sector policy expressed similar sentiments on mobile broadband/data services, which generated 110,000 subscribers - and a penetration rate of 31.27 subscribers per 100 residents - during their first year.

“The Government is satisfied nonetheless that the lack of options for available broadband data services in the Bahamas market is prejudicial to the country’s development, as the current market offerings are not sufficient to meet the demands needed to fuel growth and stimulate the economy at the pace that matches the Government’s development plans and the appetite of consumers,” the sector policy said.

Elsewhere, the Government said it planned to upgrade the Universal Service framework and enhance the products and services included in it.

“The Government notes that under the Communications Act there is no minimum speed enunciated in the obligation on Cable Bahamas to provide a USO Internet service to all populated areas in the Bahamas,” the communications sector policy said.

“The Government, therefore, is supportive of URCA’s recent initiatives requiring Cable Bahamas to define its minimum bandwidth throughput for its USO Internet service.”

The Christie administration also called on URCA to develop “a clear, rational strategy” for the Bahamas’ transition to digital broadcasting “as a matter of urgency”. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has set June 2015 as the date for when all analogue transmissions should be switched off.

The sector policy commits the Government, meanwhile, to promote the development of technology parks within the Bahamas as a means to provide “a world class hub for technology-based industries.

“The parks will provide facilities, services and a dynamic environment which will enable companies to nurture ideas, innovate and develop,” the policy said, although it gave no specifics on how this objective would be achieved.

The Government also believes communications technology will help improve visa-free travel to the Bahamas, and facilitate entry visas, for tourists from Brazil, China, India and South Africa.

“The verification of the authenticity of travel documents and the issuance of visas can be greatly enhanced by increasing the accuracy, reliability and speed in which such processes are carried out,” the sector policy said.