The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Consumer choice and competition have received a boost after regulators set February 14, 2017, as the launch date for mobile number portability in the Bahamas, accompanied by fixed penalties for non-compliant operators.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), in unveiling its determination on the start date, revealed that it opted for a fixed penalty system after Bahamians had been “unacceptably delayed” in being able to switch fixed-line providers while keeping their existing numbers.

Number portability, which allows fixed-line customers of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and Cable Bahamas to keep their existing numbers when switching between providers, is vital to facilitating competition, and URCA is anxious to avoid a repeat with the mobile market.

The regulator is proposing that a breach of ‘number portability rules’ that delays customers switching provider be punished by a fine equal to average revenue per daily user (ADRPU), which is then multiplied by 5 and the number of days involved.

Breaches that cause a consumer not to fulfill their desired provider switch, URCA added, will be punished by a fine equal to ADRPU multiplied by 30. Total fines levied during a single year will be capped at 1 per cent of a carrier’s annual turnover.

Aliv, the Bahamas’ new mobile operator, and BTC’s first rival in the segment, previously told Tribune Business that the introduction of number portability was a key element in its growth plans.

Damian Blackburn, Aliv’s chief executive, said number portability was essential for Aliv to make inroads into the corporate market, and expressed hope it would become a reality for thousands of Bahamian subscribers early in the New Year.

URCA appears to have granted his ‘New Year’s wish’, with both BTC and Aliv given until February 10, 2017, to be ready for mobile number portability. The launch to consumers will take place four days later on February 14.

Acknowledging Aliv’s concerns, URCA said any rules breach was “likely to be highly prejudicial to the successful implementation and operation of mobile number portability in the Bahamas”.

Recalling the experience with BTC and Cable Bahamas on fixed-line number portability, the regulator added: “URCA has noted that there have been several instances where licensees involved in fixed number portability have failed to comply fully with the Business Rules (now superseded by the local number portability business rules), and ports have as a result failed or been unacceptably delayed.

“URCA notes that the delay or failure of ports has the impact of undermining public confidence in local number portability. URCA notes that failed or delayed ports are often a direct result of a failure to comply with the business rules, and therefore considers it appropriate to directly link compliance with the local number portability business rules with successful porting in accordance with the agreed and established timelines.”

URCA added that delays could “undermine the reputation” of the carrier customers are switching to, and weaken confidence in the regulatory regime, while also encouraging Bahamians to remain with their existing provider.

URCA said the switch from one mobile provider to another should “be set at” two hours from the date on which the transfer is requested.

It added that the communications industry’s working group on number portability had also agreed that the photo identification required to switch providers did not need to be Bahamas government-issued.