One can have a monoply but if the rates are regulated and below costs you are losing money and have no incentive to improve your product, in this case prime. As for a permanent monopoly cable has no such thing. That expired several years ago. The low or no profitability associated with basic cable services, along with high capital costs, explains why there has been no current competition offering basic cable. Increased rates would encourage competitors and result in improved services for everyone.

Cable deserves every penny of this increase and more. The cost of prime to the customer has not increased since it began 20 years ago. During these 2 Decades the cost of programming has increased tremendously. How can cable provide a quality product (better channels) etc without the increased revenue to pay for it when costs are increasing and profit margins whittled down to almost nothing on prime?

Mr. Gibson all of your suggestions are intelligently thought through, fair, equitable, and in the interest of the common good. As a result I am quite confident NONE of them will be implemented. Now we can all return to banging our heads against the wall hoping for positive change. The fix is in and has been all along.

I happen to live in Long Island as well and what you say about cable's service here is true. These are the customer service issues that I was earlier referring to. These are issues that need to be addressed by URCA and will hopefully be covered in the newly issued customer bill of rights. That does not mean cable is not a great company. Many, many people especially business owners in Nassau love cable. They give a great product there that works, especially compared to BTC. Do they have issues, yes no doubt, but they are a professionally run 100% bahamian owned company! one despite the flaws we should be proud of.

It is true there is currently no other cable tv provider but that is because of the economics of cable tv. It is not a very profitable business, with very large capital start up costs. So cable has a defacto monoply, but anyone can offer cable tv services if they want to as cable's monopoly has expired. As a matter of fact BTC is currently testing an internet based tv product that they expect to roll out in a limited version by the end of the year, with a national roll out next year if it is successful. I hope it comes to pass as the more competition the better!

First off, cable has no monoply in any segment of it's business, be that data storage, fixed phone line, internet, or tv. It did have a monoply on cable services but that expired 2 years ago. I have no problem with a late fee. Pay your bill on time and there will be no fee. Bahamians should develop a habit like you apparently have of paying on time. That said cable does have customer service issues that need to be improved. URCA, the regulating authority, has just published a consumer bill of rights. You should read it as it is posted on their website. Change is coming for the better.

I hope so! I am one of several thousand Bahamian shareholders and although not wealthy I deserve to benefit along with all the other 100% bahamian shareholders. Not to mention NIB which owns 23% of cable's shares. Think of those profits helping all pensionable Bahamians. Why should foreigners benefit when there is a 100% Bahamian company with the infrastructure in place? If cable does not get the next cellular license then it will be because of some graft given to our politicians. Wake up Bahamians, let the profits remain in this country not to be repatriated to foreigners!

Why should this information be confidential? We need an official " name and shame " program for all public corporations. It seems the only way bills get paid in this country. I pay my bill monthly, always in full, so I am subsidizing this deadbeat through higher rates than otherwise would be necessary if accounts receivable were not so high. Mr. jones loses all right to privacy when I am asked to subsidize his bills. This secrecy leads to abuse and corruption that is destroying the middle class in this country.

The commissioner of police just promised to crack down on prolific criminals. Can we please have these senators and parliamentarians arrested for their law breaking.

What does the prime minister call not paying your electricity bill since last September ( as verified by the director of education Mr. Lionel Sands)? How unchristian! Our politicians are hypocrites of the highest order. How about paying your bills, and stop vilifying private companies that simply want to be paid for a service used a long time ago.