Brilliant..unfortunately though politicians who run things are in the same boat as the stuffed shirts. they do not understand technology either so they should not get to decide. Throughout the entire public sector things do not get done a lot of times because the wrong people are in place and are charged with managing things they do not understand. ratherthan demonstre the fact that they are lost, nothing happens and we are where we are because of it

The customers of Batelco do not really care if Batelco is sold or not. What we want is excellent communications services at a reasonable price. History has indicated that this is unlikely in our Bahamas without some significant change. What should this change be or include? That is the question.

Competition is important. In business, one of anything is bad. We need a way to introduce competition while maintaining some security and control. Private enterprise without competition leads to price gouging. Cable Bahamas is our local example of this. Enron and the California power situation is a US example. I suggest we set up the framework whereby other phone companies can enter the market. Batelco can be the wholesaler of phone services. Many companies can be retailers. This would create competition and economic opportunity.

In moving our society forward we should always try to expand and create opportunities rather than limit opportunities. Creating opportunities will in the end allow the government to reduce the percentage of the labour market, and hopefully the amount of people, it has to employ. This is a good thing. More funds can then be used to repay National Insurance.

:jawdroop: I read in the newspapers today that the Minister of works in denying that the GM of Batelco has disassociated himself from the decision to switch to GSM, admittedthat the decision was made after the 2002 General Elections. I made a blunder recently by buying a CDMA cellular phone only to learn later, because I paid no attention to technical matters wrt cell phones, that the phone is imcompatible with our network here.So I did some reading about TDMA, CDMA, and GSM to find out what it was all about. I read that GSM is used primarily in Europe (hardly in North America), and though it is better than the TDMA system it can only handle 1/3 of the traffic of CDMA in the same bandwidth. So my question to one of you in the know is why GSM as opposed to CDMA?

"Batelco can be the wholesaler of phone services. Many companies can be retailers. This would create competition and economic opportunity."


All batelco has to do is lease their infrastructure( lines, poles etc) to other companies. The other competeing companies would pass that on to their customers. Its really that simple. At least thats how telecommunications in the US was explained to me. then regulate the industries. So batelco may still be able to make money and maintain operations.
Anyway, the fact is that btc never does its homework when it comes to being aware of technological developments around the world. Then they cover it up by creating an elusion to the public that we are so ahead of everyone else or that we have caught up when its so plain to see that we are still so far behind. By the way, I heard about this wi-fi wirless internet thing some time ago. Does anyone know whats going on with that?

By the way, I heard about this wi-fi wirless internet thing some time ago. Does anyone know whats going on with that?

Its here, though range is still limited, but the company is working on that.

YES YES YES SELL IT!!! As a Bahamian with extensive experience trying to get my line repaired (or even just pay my bill) I would LOVE to see Batelco sold. When I lived in Marsh Harbour at one point the garbage truck drove through my phone line (which was strung low across a neighbor's driveway...not my doing since I was renting the house!) - popped the line right off the house. I begged and pleaded and cajoled Batelco to come out and fix the line, because even the little junction box had been pulled off the house and ruined. No dice.

After three weeks of begging and pleading and cajoling to no avail (I even called the garbage truck company and got laughed at) a friend of mine suggested we try hooking the phone up ourselves. We found the line, all jumbled up in a bush across my neighbor's driveway, pulled it back over to my house, and she stood outside on a ladder holding the wires together while I went in and checked for a dial tone. And we fixed it! I wound duct tape around the connection, but I still had to remove the tape and clean the ends of the wires once in a while to maintain the quality of my signal. Eventually I taught myself to solder and soldered the wires together to try to keep the connection clean as long as possible. I improvised a peg to substitute for the junction box, and hoisted the wire higher so the garbage truck wouldn't drive through it again. As far as I know, my repairs are still there and Batelco STILL hasn't properly fixed the line.

So, yes, sell Batelco. I'm pretty sure, however, that this won't happen. Problem is that the "stuffed shirts" at Batelco, because it's a GOVERNMENT utility, are UN-FIRE-ABLE. So at least, the government should open the field to competition. I look forward to making my first million as a freelance line technician!

The customers of Batelco do not really care if Batelco is sold or not.

Ebo, as a past customer of Batelco, I tell you you are wrong. We want to see Batelco sold, becuase WE WANT REVENGE!!! Sell the company and FIRE THE MORONS. :hot:

Excellent! I would like to see the government's ability to grant and hold monopolies challenged in court using constitutional arguments. i would like to have the right to own and operate a small brewery and sell beer for 75 cents like they do in Trinidad. How have they been allowed to get away with this for so long?!

Excellent! I would like to see the government's ability to grant and hold monopolies challenged in court using constitutional arguments. i would like to have the right to own and operate a small brewery and sell beer for 75 cents like they do in Trinidad. How have they been allowed to get away with this for so long?!

I would buy your beer!
However, the government would tax you something like $14.00 a case to so it would end up being as costly as Kalik.

Ebo, as a past customer of Batelco, I tell you you are wrong. We want to see Batelco sold, becuase WE WANT REVENGE!!! Sell the company and FIRE THE MORONS. :hot:


Selling the company does not mean that it will get better. I agree that many long needed changes need to occur at BTC, but remember that company is a cash cow for the government. Selling it could prove to be damaging to the financial resources of the economy. I also agree that BTC should lease it lines, and phones, to other companies to help stimulate and support an economic boost which can lead to lower unemployement rates.

Also note, I am saying this not only as a customer, but as a well-informed employee of BTC. Don't think that only persons not working to BTC have a hard time getting services, there are many employees in this same predicament with this same views as me and you..."DON"T SELL BUT GET RID OF THE MORONS".

what they should do with batelco is infuse into the stock market "bahamian stock market"...
and offer it peice by peice to the bahamian public, black and white to buy and control.
and regulate shares, for the small man and the big man.

not allow the buying to become a monopoly, but allow it to be accesible to the thousandairre and the millionairre.

we need to learn to be just, and not fair!
our justice system need to learn to enforce justice sometimes, and not being fair.
let the courts be fair and then just.
but the government need to be just, then fair.

what they should do with batelco is infuse into the stock market "bahamian stock market"...
and offer it peice by peice to the bahamian public, black and white to buy and control.
and regulate shares, for the small man and the big man.

not allow the buying to become a monopoly, but allow it to be accesible to the thousandairre and the millionairre.

we need to learn to be just, and not fair!
our justice system need to learn to enforce justice sometimes, and not being fair.
let the courts be fair and then just.
but the government need to be just, then fair.


Hi Y2kbad, your suggestion re offering shares in Batelco sounds reasonable and may well improve the situation.

However, because of the bad track record governments (worldwide, I believe) have in running businesses, as long as they have the majority shareholding, the company could still be in trouble.

It would be just Great if I am wrong, but I believe that if any company run by government gets into trouble, government is the main cause of the problem. And I think Bahamasair is the perfect example.

But if by some miracle government can find a formula to run a company successfully (like maybe letting professionals be in charge -- and keeping their hands completely out of it), then maybe the business can be successful even though they are the majority shareholder.

Great Demos

from what i understand is that batelco is allready sold!
and is now the bahamas telecommunications corp.

is this true?