By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) chief executive says he is pushing to become the Caribbean “reference” and leader as this nation readies to host a major industry summit.

Sameer Bhatti, speaking prior to the 40th CANTO regional communications conference, which kicks-off in The Bahamas this upcoming Sunday, told Tribune Business that his ambition is to attain a position where “every other Caribbean nation looks” at this nation and views it as a model to emulate for innovation, technology and infrastructure development.

“Selfishly, I want The Bahamas to lead,” he affirmed. “I want every other Caribbean nation to look at The Bahamas as a reference; as a reference for what we’re doing with broadband... Whether it’s mobile or fixed broadband, I want BTC to be a reference.

“Whether it’s smart cities and we’re doing Wi-fi in the park, I want us to be the reference. Whether it’s moving an entire island to fibre, as we’ve done in Grand Bahama - and you’ll hear more about that as we publicise it - I want BTC to be the reference. Even as we roll-out Jump, and the success we’re having with Jump, I want BTC to be the reference.”

Jump is the region-wide initiative, spearheaded in The Bahamas by BTC with its Liberty Caribbean immediate parent taking the lead in other nations, to boost digital inclusion and access by offering low-cost connections to those in need. Mr Bhatti, though, said his goals for BTC and the wider Bahamas do not stop there.

“What we are doing, and working hand in glove with the Government on, is CCTV to make this a safer place to reside and visit,” he added. “I want BTC to be the reference. As we further our infrastructure for nation-building, be it for data centres, cloud or AI (artificial intelligence, I want BTC to be the reference and for The Bahamas to be the reference.

“To me, selfishly, that’s where I am going. That’s where we’re going. How can we make BTC and, by extension, The Bahamas, the reference for the wider region?” Many observers would argue that BTC and The Bahamas have much to accomplish to reach such a status, but the upcoming CANTO conference offers a potential platform to help the carrier build towards that.

Noting that BTC has been a CANTO member since the non-profit was first formed in 1985, Mr Bhatti said the regional communications conference is coming to The Bahamas - and Baha Mar’s Grand Hyatt resort - for the first time in a decade. It is also occurring at a pivotal moment for BTC’s immediate parent, Liberty Caribbean, which rebranded from Cable & Wireless Communications just months ago.

The BTC chief said the competition provided by satellite Internet, with Elon Musk’s Starlink already providing such services in The Bahamas and expanding its customer base, along with the challenges posed by over-the-top applications such as What’s App and the need to create a “level playing field” with incumbent operators, will be among the topics likely to be discussed during CANTO.

“I would hope for topics around satellite to come up,” Mr Bhatti said. “We have a third player in the market in The Bahamas and, actually, throughout the Caribbean. Frankly, it’s somewhat of a foundational player, particularly if you have a yacht, you have a boat. It means satellite is a very useful technology for broadband in this kind of scenario.

“It’s also being used elsewhere in residences and businesses. We see it in the Family Islands and the cays. We see it all over.” The BTC chief executive added that over-the-top applications will also merit discussion given that they do not incur the sunk costs associated with hard communications infrastructure, and staff training, that the likes of his carrier and Cable Bahamas do.

Yet the likes of What’s App use this same infrastructure to offer their services to end-users despite not paying a single cent towards its roll-out. “We’ve all enjoyed a certain amount of video streaming,” Mr Bhatti told Tribune Business. “In the past we’ve talked about fair usage policies, but what is fairness?

“What is fairness for the operators in each of these countries, who are investing heavily in their broadband infrastructure, who are investing in their people, who are training and training local talent, right, and certainly investing in the communities?

“It’s a non-trivial business. We know that. What’s a fair and level playing field for us all to compete?” Mr Bhatti asked. “This, for me, we won’t have the answers for at this CANTO, we won’t have the answers for at the next CANTO, but collectively, if we have a shared understanding, I think we can move the needle towards fairness in a better way for the region.

“I’m not solving for the US. I’m not solving for Europe. I’m solving for The Bahamas and the Caribbean. What is fair, and how can our regulators be a part of that; how can our regulators be part of fairness and make it easy or easier for operators to deliver astounding broadband Internet with reliability and consistency, whether you are in Grand Cay or Mayaguana, top-to-toe in this archipelago.

“How can we work with the regulators? What can the regulators do differently? What kind of policies should they set forth that will be helpful and lasting?”