Nassau, Bahamas - Declaring
that The Bahamas "leaped light years ahead with a single call,"
BTC CEO Geoff Houston announced moments ago that the first test 4G cell
phone call and internet data session was placed at 11:12 am on Friday,
November 11th, paving the way for the long-awaited high-speed
network to go live before Christmas.
"There
were two steps to the test," said Houston. "The first was
a call and the second was transmission of data [internet connectivity].
Each was a 100% success with no delays, no faults, just as smooth as
can be. For all the technicians who sweated through the exercise or
those in management who had sleepless nights, your hard work has been
rewarded. The future in telecommunications is here and it begins with
this."
The
historic test call and data session are key milestones in the two-year,
$45 million investment in BTC’s 4G network that is currently underway.
"Once
the system is fully engaged, The Bahamas will rank among countries with
the most advanced telecommunications capabilities in the Western Hemisphere,"
said Houston. "We are extremely proud of that fact and want to
take this opportunity to thank the entire team who are working tirelessly
to make the promise of 4G come true. We have leapt light years ahead
with a single call." According to Marketing Manager Marlon Johnson,
the launch of 4G will pave the way for touch- screen Androids, BlackBerrys
and the entire hi-speed smart-phone family which are turning the handheld
devices into internet and entertainment providers.
"With
4G, a phone is much more than an instrument used to place or receive
calls," Johnson said. "When 4G goes live BTC customers with
smart phones will be able to download music, flip through YouTube,
handle banking transactions, reserve tickets for a show, watch BBC News
or a live game if the TV network app that is airing the game is part
of the package they chose or if they have the app. You will never look
at your phone the same way again and we at BTC are really excited about
it."
The
launch of 4G will fulfill a key commitment that Cable & Wireless
Communications made when it purchased 51% of the company in April. BTC
intends to launch its 4G network in New Providence and Grand Bahama
before Christmas and roll out the network to the vast majority of Family
Island communities in 2012. The company indicated that the full
schedule of individual island 4G launches will be made public as the
respective schedules are finalized. The introduction of 4G will be the
latest in a series of improvements in service and rate reductions since
the company was privatized six months ago. In August, it eliminated
all connection charges for cell phone calls made within The Bahamas,
doing away with long distance connection charges between islands and
creating a single domestic rate structure. It has also unveiled a full
range of money-saving summer promotions, introduced online and retail
location topping up of minutes for pre-paid customers and announced
plans to transform telecom buying, servicing and payment experiences
throughout the islands within the next two years.
