Bahamians are voicing stiff opposition to Cable Bahamas’ bid to increase its fee by $8, a director of the country’s licensing watchdog, said yesterday.
The company applied to the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) in December to increase the cost of its SuperBasic (REVTV Prime) service to $38 for residential customers, and proposed to increase the fee of commercial customers from $50 to $63.50.
However, speaking at the Rotary Club of Lucaya’s weekly luncheon at Ruby Swiss yesterday, Stephen Bereaux, URCA’s director of policy and regulations, said one of the key issues that had come up in the town meetings URCA has been holding on several islands has been Cable Bahamas’ quality of service.
“Much to our surprise, we didn’t quite expect it quite as strongly as it has been, is that the quality of service being provided is an issue for various reasons,” he said.
“There are several areas that people have commented that they believe are unfair in terms of particular charges. People have complained of blackouts or stops, freezes, all sorts of quality issues and URCA’s role, it is a significant part of our responsibility to ensure that consumers are protected, to further the interests of consumers and that people get high quality services at affordable prices.”
Bereaux said one of URCA’s issues with regards to the application is affordability.
He noted that television service was a luxury in the past, but today provides a national safety role as it provides information that gives social cohesiveness and serves an important role in disaster management and preparedness.
“It is important that people are connected as far as possible by TV. The Communications Act, which is the act under which URCA regulates this sector requires that Cable Bahamas provide as a matter of a universal service – service to everyone – affordable, basic television services to all populated areas in The Bahamas,” Bereaux said.
He noted that not everyone would be able to afford the increase.
“Some of the comments we’ve heard at some of the town meetings that we’ve had have certainly highlighted this. One of the issues we are looking for comment on is the extent to which the absence of the six channel package – the increase decreases affordability and it’s going to mean that the people who currently can afford TV can’t afford it anymore, and if that’s the case there is a further challenge obviously that URCA has to consider,” Bereaux said.
Member of Parliament for East Grand Bahama Peter Turnquest, who also attended the meeting, voiced his issues with Cable Bahamas, noting there should be regulations with regards to compensating customers when their service goes out.
“Right now in my house in one room I’ve got all the super basic channels, in the other room I can’t get any of the lower channels. I called Cable Bahamas, they sent somebody out – great. They fixed the problem in the room that had the problem, but they transferred it to a room that I didn’t have a problem, so it’s still not working,” he said.
Turnquest also noted that it might be a good idea for all residents to have the option of a package similar to the six channels that rural areas get for free because many persons are not interested in the options that are in their packages.
“If I can get the Miami channels, Cable Bahamas and JCN, not so much ZNS anymore I am happy and I am willing to pay a certain price for that, I don’t need all of that other frivolous stuff, so it would them give me the opportunity to manage my costs while getting the information that I really need,” he said.
Another attendee questioned how Cable Bahamas could justify such a high increase, suggesting that a five or 10 percent increase would have been reasonable, but 27 percent is too exorbitant.
While Cable Bahamas has taken a lot of heat about the proposed increase, URCA has also come under fire after former DNA candidate Rodney Moncur said URCA had a conflict interest because URCA chairman Randol Dorsett had served as a lawyer for Cable Bahamas during a town meeting on New Providence.
URCA has since denied the conflict or interest claims, noting that while Dorsett previously represented the company, since taking on his position at URCA the law firm with which he is employed reassigned Cable Bahamas to another lawyer.
By Cleopatra Murphy
Freeport News Reporter