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ICT Profile
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The Government has set as a long-term, broad-based objective, the transformation of the Bahamian economy to a digital one as a means of generating viable opportunities for Bahamians to participate in the global economy. The realisation of such opportunities will come about through the pervasive use of the Internet to engage in activities such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, e-government services and certain niche markets within the supply chain”. |
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The Government of the Bahamas has developed a detailed ICT Strategy articulated in a document entitled:Policy statement on electronic commerce and the Bahamian digital agenda. January 2003. The document details an action plan and proposes institutional arrangements in respect of e-business, the telecommunications infrastructure, legal, financial, content and human resource development issues, and e-government. |
LEADING INSTITUTIONS
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Liberalization of Telecommunications Industry Cable Bahamas, local cable and internet service provider, calls for the total liberalization of the telecommunications industry in the Bahamas. BTC to compete with Cable Bahamas Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) hopes to compete with Cable Bahamas after the liberalization of the telecommunication industry. BTC must switch from TDMA to GSM According to international software company, Vanu Software Radio Base Station, BTC must update network from TDMA to GSM if they which to compete in the local wireless communications industry. |
| e-GOVERNMENT
The government is committed to the expansion of its wide area network connecting of all government agencies, accelerating the development of online processes to facilitate business. The Government will also place as priority the coordination of regulatory policy among various Government entities that will promote transition to a digital economy; upgrade infrastructure for the delivery of government information including converting public information to electronic form; and continue work on the expansion and enhancement of the Government portal and website. |
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AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE LEGAL RECOGNITION OF ELECTRONIC WRITING, ELECTRONIC CONTRACTS, ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES AND ORIGINAL INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC FORM IN RELATION TO COMMERCIAL AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE FACILITATION OF ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS AND RELATED MATTERS. |
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Telecommunication Policy and Network Development This section presents an overview of the telecommunications sector in the Bahamas, the government’s policy and the industry’s degree of development. 2.1 Telecommunications sector policy and regulation 2.1.1 Current regulatory framework Telecommunications in the Bahamas began in 1892 with the connection of the first submarine cable from Florida in the United States, at what is still known as Cable Beach. The first manual exchange was installed in 1906; thus, international communication preceded domestic telephone service by some 12 years. Regulation and control of services came under the state Telegraph and Telephone Department (later Telecommunications Department), until the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1966. This created a state-owned corporation, Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation or BaTelCo, which still operates as a quasi-public monopoly in most services today. |
| ICT INDICATORS collected by Statistical Offices |