URCA
today announces that it has opened Public Consultation on two applications made
by Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL).
The
first is an application for approval to permanently increase the current
monthly prices of its basic residential and commercial pay TV services,
marketed as
“REVTV Prime” and
“REVTV Business Prime” respectively in
areas where CBL offers multiple pay TV packages. The affected areas are New Providence, Grand
Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera. If
approved, the residential
REVTV Prime
price in those areas will increase by $8, from $30 per month to $38 per month;
while the
REVTV Business Prime price
will increase by $14, from $50 per month to $64.00 per month. The proposed price increase represents an
increase of 27% on each package.
REVTV Prime and
REV TV Business Prime are currently the minimum or entry-level
products that customers can purchase as stand-alone products, or that customers
must purchase prior to adding any of CBL’s other pay TV services.
The
second application is for permission to introduce a new Basic Television
Service for residential customers which would be marketed as
“REV TV Prime Local”. CBL has advised in its application that the
intent of
REVTV Prime Local is to
fulfill CBL’s universal service obligation (USO) for basic television services,
as mandated under the Communications Act of 2009. The proposed
REVTV Prime Local package will be priced at $10 per month and would
comprise six (6) channels including ZNS and the Parliamentary Channel, amongst
others. As with the proposed price increase, the new package will only be
offered in areas where CBL offers multiple pay TV packages (i.e. New
Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera).
CBL
has proposed that the price increases and new package will only affect those
areas, situated on four islands, where CBL now operates a two-way digital cable
TV network and offers multiple pay TV packages.
These are New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera.
CBL maintains that its current network configuration is technically unable to
provide multiple television packages in the other geographical areas where it
operates a one-way analogue network, and therefore it cannot introduce the
multi-level pricing proposed in its applications in those areas.
On
seven other family islands, Bimini, Berry Islands, San Salvador, Great Inagua,
Andros, Great Exuma and Long Island, CBL operates a one-way analogue cable TV
network over which customers are only offered the basic package (REVTV Prime
and REVTV Business prime). The proposed
price increase and proposed new package will not affect this group of
communities.
CBL
also provides, free of charge, an over-the-air broadcast service to several
specified areas which include, parts of Cat Island, Exuma, Abaco, Grand Bahama,
Eleuthera and Andros; Crooked Island, Acklins, Mayaguana and Moores
Island. In these areas, residents do
not have access to
REVTV Prime or
REVTV Business Prime, and their services
will therefore not be affected by either of CBL’s applications.
In
support of its current price increase application, Cable Bahamas states that
without the price increase, their
REV TV
Prime business segment will continue to realize a revenue shortfall thereby
jeopardizing the economic viability of the service. In support of the new
package, CBL has submitted arguments to justify that the package meets the
requirements of the USO in that it is affordable, and the channel lineup is
sufficiently informative as to matters that are relevant to the Bahamian
society, such as relevant programming on news, sports, variety and family
entertainment.
URCA’s
final decision will address the following issues:
·
In relation to the proposed price increase,
whether it is excessive in the context of CBL’s costs of providing the service;
·
In relation to the proposed new package, whether
it complies with the requirements for a basic television USO package as set out
in the Communications Act, 2009 and URCA’s USO Framework document (ECS
01/2014), that is:
Whether
it is affordable;
o
Whether the proposed restrictions on the
subscribers to the new package are reasonable and proportionate and,
o
Whether the package, as proposed by CBL, is
sufficiently informative as to matters that are relevant to the Bahamian
society, such as relevant programming on news, sports, variety and family
entertainment.
As
both services to be impacted by CBL’s applications are subjected to price
regulation and the proposed changes are considered by URCA to be of public
significance URCA considers that the application is appropriate for public
consultation.
URCA
now invites feedback from persons whose rights or interests may be materially
affected by CBL’s applications. The
consultation process will also include town meetings and focus groups in New
Providence and the three family islands to be impacted by the proposed price
increase. URCA will make its final decision only after careful consideration of
all submissions received within the specified consultation period.
Interested
persons may obtain copies of the consultation document by download from URCA’s
website at www.urcabahamas.bs, or by
visiting URCA’s offices.
URCA
is the independent body responsible for the regulation of the electronic
communications sector in The Bahamas. URCA’s responsibilities cover the
regulation of internet services, fixed and mobile telephony, radio and
over-the-air broadcasting, pay television services (including cable television
services) and the management of state assets such as numbering, domain names
and radio frequency spectrum.
Persons wishing to provide feedback to the consultation
document should respond by January 31st, 2015. Comments should clearly set out the reasoning
for any objections and provide evidence to substantiate a stated position and can
be submitted as follows:
o By
hand to URCA’s office at UBS Annex Building, East Bay Street, New Providence;
or
o By
mail to P.O.Box n-4860, Nassau, The Bahamas; or
o Byfax,
to 242-393-0153; or
o By
email, to info@urcabahamas.bs
URCA
reserves the right to make all responses available to the public by posting
responses online on its web site at www.urcabahamas.bs if a response is marked confidential, reasons
should be given to facilitate evaluation by URCA of the request for confidentiality. URCA may, in its sole discretion, publish or
refrain from publishing any document or submission.
URCA
today announces that it has opened Public Consultation on two applications made
by Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL).
The
first is an application for approval to permanently increase the current
monthly prices of its basic residential and commercial pay TV services,
marketed as
“REVTV Prime” and
“REVTV Business Prime” respectively in
areas where CBL offers multiple pay TV packages. The affected areas are New Providence, Grand
Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera. If
approved, the residential
REVTV Prime
price in those areas will increase by $8, from $30 per month to $38 per month;
while the
REVTV Business Prime price
will increase by $14, from $50 per month to $64.00 per month. The proposed price increase represents an
increase of 27% on each package.
REVTV Prime and
REV TV Business Prime are currently the minimum or entry-level
products that customers can purchase as stand-alone products, or that customers
must purchase prior to adding any of CBL’s other pay TV services.
The
second application is for permission to introduce a new Basic Television
Service for residential customers which would be marketed as
“REV TV Prime Local”. CBL has advised in its application that the
intent of
REVTV Prime Local is to
fulfill CBL’s universal service obligation (USO) for basic television services,
as mandated under the Communications Act of 2009. The proposed
REVTV Prime Local package will be priced at $10 per month and would
comprise six (6) channels including ZNS and the Parliamentary Channel, amongst
others. As with the proposed price increase, the new package will only be
offered in areas where CBL offers multiple pay TV packages (i.e. New
Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera).
CBL
has proposed that the price increases and new package will only affect those
areas, situated on four islands, where CBL now operates a two-way digital cable
TV network and offers multiple pay TV packages.
These are New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and parts of Eleuthera.
CBL maintains that its current network configuration is technically unable to
provide multiple television packages in the other geographical areas where it
operates a one-way analogue network, and therefore it cannot introduce the
multi-level pricing proposed in its applications in those areas.
On
seven other family islands, Bimini, Berry Islands, San Salvador, Great Inagua,
Andros, Great Exuma and Long Island, CBL operates a one-way analogue cable TV
network over which customers are only offered the basic package (REVTV Prime
and REVTV Business prime). The proposed
price increase and proposed new package will not affect this group of
communities.
CBL
also provides, free of charge, an over-the-air broadcast service to several
specified areas which include, parts of Cat Island, Exuma, Abaco, Grand Bahama,
Eleuthera and Andros; Crooked Island, Acklins, Mayaguana and Moores
Island. In these areas, residents do
not have access to
REVTV Prime or
REVTV Business Prime, and their services
will therefore not be affected by either of CBL’s applications.
In
support of its current price increase application, Cable Bahamas states that
without the price increase, their
REV TV
Prime business segment will continue to realize a revenue shortfall thereby
jeopardizing the economic viability of the service. In support of the new
package, CBL has submitted arguments to justify that the package meets the
requirements of the USO in that it is affordable, and the channel lineup is
sufficiently informative as to matters that are relevant to the Bahamian
society, such as relevant programming on news, sports, variety and family
entertainment.
URCA’s
final decision will address the following issues:
·
In relation to the proposed price increase,
whether it is excessive in the context of CBL’s costs of providing the service;
·
In relation to the proposed new package, whether
it complies with the requirements for a basic television USO package as set out
in the Communications Act, 2009 and URCA’s USO Framework document (ECS
01/2014), that is:
Whether
it is affordable;
o
Whether the proposed restrictions on the
subscribers to the new package are reasonable and proportionate and,
o
Whether the package, as proposed by CBL, is
sufficiently informative as to matters that are relevant to the Bahamian
society, such as relevant programming on news, sports, variety and family
entertainment.
As
both services to be impacted by CBL’s applications are subjected to price
regulation and the proposed changes are considered by URCA to be of public
significance URCA considers that the application is appropriate for public
consultation.
URCA
now invites feedback from persons whose rights or interests may be materially
affected by CBL’s applications. The
consultation process will also include town meetings and focus groups in New
Providence and the three family islands to be impacted by the proposed price
increase. URCA will make its final decision only after careful consideration of
all submissions received within the specified consultation period.
Interested
persons may obtain copies of the consultation document by download from URCA’s
website at www.urcabahamas.bs, or by
visiting URCA’s offices.
URCA
is the independent body responsible for the regulation of the electronic
communications sector in The Bahamas. URCA’s responsibilities cover the
regulation of internet services, fixed and mobile telephony, radio and
over-the-air broadcasting, pay television services (including cable television
services) and the management of state assets such as numbering, domain names
and radio frequency spectrum.
Persons wishing to provide feedback to the consultation
document should respond by January 31st, 2015. Comments should clearly set out the reasoning
for any objections and provide evidence to substantiate a stated position and can
be submitted as follows:
o By
hand to URCA’s office at UBS Annex Building, East Bay Street, New Providence;
or
o By
mail to P.O.Box n-4860, Nassau, The Bahamas; or
o Byfax,
to 242-393-0153; or
o By
email, to info@urcabahamas.bs
URCA
reserves the right to make all responses available to the public by posting
responses online on its web site at www.urcabahamas.bs if a response is marked confidential, reasons
should be given to facilitate evaluation by URCA of the request for confidentiality. URCA may, in its sole discretion, publish or
refrain from publishing any document or submission.