Fixed line incumbent the Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC), has raised concerns that it may be end up footing the bill for the implementation of number portability (NP) in response to a preliminary determination on the matter. Bahamian regulator the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has established a working group to have the system operational by next year, reports the Nassau Guardian. A spokesperson for BTC said: The benefits are across the industry and we don’t anticipate there should be a disproportionate share. We have the lion’s share of landline subscribers. Our condition is that investment, however, is shared.’ In addition to cost worries, BTC objected to proposals regarding win-back, restricting the donor telco from contacting a former customer for at least two years after the move.
URCA is keen to implement NP before competition is introduced to the wireless sector, and some members of the working group have advocated implementing a single solution for fixed and mobile NP in order to make the process more centralised and efficient. URCA expects to make a final determination on NP in August.