I started this thread because of the responses in another thread.


How can a start up LEGALLY break the monopoly of BTC protected by the PUC?

I started this thread because of the responses in another thread.
How can a start up LEGALLY break the monopoly of BTC protected by the PUC?

BTC is good for us. We don't need change or competition in this country! Where do you think this is, the US?

I just love paying $500/month blackberry phone bills!

BTC is good for us. We don't need change or competition in this country! Where do you think this is, the US?
I just love paying $500/month blackberry phone bills!



You forgot to hit the sarcasm button! LOL!

They need your $500. They have to give those BTC employees their share of the $46 million profits without a performance evaluation!

go on our OWN go slow, stop using the telephone altogether, and go back to ham radio :footmouth ??

You forgot to hit the sarcasm button! LOL!
They need your $500. They have to give those BTC employees their share of the $46 million profits without a performance evaluation!

*LOL*

I wonder how much my bill will be this month? More or less?



go on our OWN go slow, stop using the telephone altogether, and go back to ham radio :footmouth ??

Well, I got one of these...so I don't get lost in Nassau (jk) and it has a 5 mile range

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41E3JNQQX3L._AA280_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Handheld-Navigator-2-Way-Radio/dp/B000065DQ2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-1206406-1900907?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1193245531&sr=8-3)

On second thought: No gal, I NEED my internet! I at least would have to have one of these satellite phones with internet capabilities.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41LzKI6IJ7L._AA280_.jpg

They sell them here: http://www.globalstarusa.com/en/

And did I mention that they have an UNLIMITED AIRTIME package for ONLY $49 per month?

BTC is good for us. We don't need change or competition in this country! Where do you think this is, the US?

I just love paying $500/month blackberry phone bills!

Oh my gosh... chile u off da chain!!!! LMBO:cutie:

Digicel Slams Guyana's GT&T Telecoms Monopoly, Calls for Liberalization
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/26892.php

Dennis O'Brien, CEO of Irish-owned Caribbean mobile operator Digicel, has
criticized the monopoly of international long distance calls by Guyana incumbent
GT&T, prompting a sharp response from GT&T's CEO Joe Singh, local daily the
Stabroek News reported.

In an interview with the newspaper last week, O'Brien said that telephony
customers were being "ripped off for international calls."

'If you're a Digicel customer in Jamaica and you're a Digicel customer in
Guyana, in Guyana you're paying 135% more than what you should be paying for an
international call and that is because GT&T are making super profits from the
people of Guyana and they won't give up their international monopoly," O'Brien
was reported as saying.

O'Brien also said he believes that Guyana is one of the best locations in Latin
America and the Caribbean for investment due to a "progressive government" and
"reasonably good tax regime."

The Irish businessman said that telecoms liberalization could bring 10,000 jobs
in the ICT sector alone.

In response, the Stabroek News quoted Singh as saying that O'Brien was
"blissfully unaware that GT&T has consistently articulated its preparedness to
work with [the] government to realize sector liberalization."

GT&T said in May this year that it is willing to enter into negotiations with
the Guyana government to relinquish its exclusive control over international
data and voice telephony services especially as its 20-year exclusivity license
comes up for renewal.

In a letter to the country's President Bharrat Jagdeo, GT&T said in May that
along with its parent, US-based Atlantic Tele-Network, it would also consider
floating a 20% share of the company on Guyana's stock exchange.

However the Stabroek News reported Singh as saying that the prime minister,
Samuel Hinds, has postponed meetings on two occasions due to a busy schedule.

GT&T's monopoly on the long distance voice and data telephony markets came under
scrutiny after the Americas II fiber optic cable suffered damage in May.

As all of the country's long distance calls traditionally are routed through
GT&T's network, as an emergency measure Digicel was granted an interim long
distance license by Guyana's government to route communications from the country
via satellite.

President Jagdeo has been one of the sharpest critics of the GT&T monopoly,
which he has said has been an obstacle to the country's economic growth, the
newspaper reported.

Singh also reportedly shot back at O'Brien's accusations that it was ripping off
customers by saying that the high international calling rates were used to
subsidize other communications services and said it was unfair to compare
international calling rates in two countries as different as Guyana and Jamaica.

*LOL*

I wonder how much my bill will be this month? More or less?



Well, I got one of these...so I don't get lost in Nassau (jk) and it has a 5 mile range

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41E3JNQQX3L._AA280_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Handheld-Navigator-2-Way-Radio/dp/B000065DQ2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-1206406-1900907?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1193245531&sr=8-3)

On second thought: No gal, I NEED my internet! I at least would have to have one of these satellite phones with internet capabilities.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41LzKI6IJ7L._AA280_.jpg

They sell them here: http://www.globalstarusa.com/en/

And did I mention that they have an UNLIMITED AIRTIME package for ONLY $49 per month?



thx for the heads up never heard of this, but um what the catch?...id pay the $999 one time...can I have any area code # I want or is it better to have this and some other wireless package?
that internet on my phone was a waste of money...how could you get lost in nassau? seems you live a life of excess (less is more)

thx for the heads up never heard of this, but um what the catch?...id pay the $999 one time...can I have any area code # I want or is it better to have this and some other wireless package?Have to contact Globalstar on that one, but unless you are in the US, have a boat or are on a family island, a sat phone could get pretty expensive for international calls. They're good to have in a hurricane or other "island emergency" though

how could you get lost in nassau? seems you live a life of excess (less is more)

:D I could drive through Nassau with my eyes closed ( I is a Nassauvian, born and bred) and trust me, I live the simple life, but my tech gadgets I cant live without. Those couple of BTC bills for the past few months were a shocker, seeing that the Blackberry rate with unlimited internet, 1000 free minutes and 500 text messages is supposed to be only $119/month.

I don't talk that much. Only on here I do..cause on the internet...IT'S FREE!

Not to worry, I headed down to BTC now to find out what's been going on.

I agree with breaking that monopoly but man I really don't think it'll make a difference.

Once the new company get online everyone gone run to them and drop BTC.

BTC will lose so much money, they'll be forced to shutdown, then we right back to one company and monopoly. If more than 2 telco's get online in this small country and smaller island who making money? No one. Them rates will be so high. We got between a rock and a hard place.

PS: You can't legally (or illegally for that matter) break the monopoly. The guv'ment run this country and the citizens are it's slaves.

I agree with breaking that monopoly but man I really don't think it'll make a difference.
Once the new company get online everyone gone run to them and drop BTC.
BTC will lose so much money, they'll be forced to shutdown, then we right back to one company and monopoly. If more than 2 telco's get online in this small country and smaller island who making money? No one. Them rates will be so high. We got between a rock and a hard place.
PS: You can't legally (or illegally for that matter) break the monopoly. The guv'ment run this country and the citizens are it's slaves.



You make valid point.

Perhaps if one of those Bahamian companies break the back of BTC, then set their sites on expanding into Haiti and Turks Island and St kitts and St Lucia and Nevis, they COULD survive and keep rates low because they would have a million customer base!


Ya gattey tink BIG my friend!


*Sunny eyeing them BTC phone cards in the tuck shop wit da intent to take OVA!* :D

Until the PUC is removed and VOIP is made legal for everyone in the Bahamas, everything else is a joke.

MAKE VOIP LEGAL FOR EVERYONE!!!!
Screw the people that made it illegal, they head stuck on dumb!!

Until the PUC is removed and VOIP is made legal for everyone in the Bahamas, everything else is a joke.
MAKE VOIP LEGAL FOR EVERYONE!!!!
Screw the people that made it illegal, they head stuck on dumb!!


So you don't like Yorik's suggestion?


Logically if Coralwave used BTC's Fiber optic international cabling I would think that you would be correct, but as far as I know, CW has their own direct fibre optic connectivity to the United States. This would mean that CW broadband is not provided by BTC or is connected to their backbone/equipment in any way. So why exactly would they fall under BTC regulations again? Further continuing, according to what you are saying, BTC controls the internet in the Bahamas, regardless of the provider. I would think that this is not the case.

BTC's sole competition in the local telephony market is Indigo, who got screwed over several times only because of the fact that they are a "local" telecommunications provider and fall directly under the realm of that related act. BTC cannot touch Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) Skype (http://www.skype.com) or Packet 8 (http://www.8x8.com) or any other international provider, UNLESS their solution is like the "callback system" which uses BTC's own infrastructure.

Most instant messenger programs have VoIP in them. What makes things more interesting is that with the advent of Wi-fi phones, Bahamians will be able to place local and long distance calls from these wi-fi phones for a fraction of local prices when in the range of a wi-fi network, thus completely circumventing dialing out on BTC's overpriced network.

All we need is one company to blanket every major island with wi-fi and they could put, with a proper plan, BTC out of business almost overnight.

They should have sold it when they had the chance. And if the PUC acts up again, all it will take is a few foreign investors from these tourism projects to make a stand to break the monopoly.



http://www.bahamasissues.com/showthread.php?t=10938

So you don't like Yorik's suggestion?


You a billionaire hey? ;)

You a billionaire hey? ;)



In spirit, yes. LOL!

Yorik say we only need $24 million.

We could beat up a few BTC employees for their share of the $46 million bonus check and get dat! LOL!