Most Bahamians expect to eventually get cable service one day, but that may not be the case. Though Cable Bahamas offer service throughout the capital and on several Family Islands, the private corporation is not obligated to provide cable to the entire country.
Though most Bahamians, including politicians, believe otherwise, Cable Bahamas’ mandate is clearly outlined in its license agreement, dated July 30, 1993.
At a town meeting in North Eleuthera last week, a concerned resident asked Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts about cable installation in the southern part of the island. He said the former prime minister said cable would be available to the entire Bahamas, but he recently found this was not so.
“To my shock and surprise, when we (Progressive Liberal Party) came to office, I even challenged Cable Bahamas that if they did not get on with discharging their obligation under the contract, that we would get another company to do it, but the Prime Minister just recently brought to my attention that what the former prime minister said was not true,” Mr. Roberts said.
According to Minister Roberts, “the contract that the government entered into with Cable Bahamas does not require Cable Bahamas to provide cable throughout the entire Bahamas. Some islands are left out or are on a restricted basis,” he said.
After obtaining a copy of the license agreement between the government of The Bahamas and Columbus Communications Ltd., now Cable Bahamas; The Guardian found out that only certain islands have been listed to obtain cable service. The contract says Cable Bahamas should have completed construction within three years from the signing date of Oct. 13, 1994, of 40 per cent of the communities in The Bahamas other than New Providence and Grand Bahama.
These areas included: all areas of New Providence, West End, Pinder’s Point, Eight Mile Rock, High Rock, Williams Town, Free Town and McClain’s Town, Grand Bahama; Bailey Town, Alice Town and South Bimini; Great Harbour Cay and Bullocks Harbour, Berry Islands; all settlements in Andros, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island and Cat Island; Cooper’s Town, Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour, Man-O-War Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Hope Town, Crown Haven, Dundas Town and Spring City Abaco; Inagua and Cockburn Town and United Estates, San Salvador.
Vice-president of Cable Bahamas, Tony Butler, confirmed for The Guardian on Monday, that when its contract was signed on Oct. 13, 1994, there was an obligation to provide a certain percentage of cable to The Bahamas by 1997.
“We were given a list of settlements by the government when the contract was signed and it was 40 per cent that was to be constructed by 1997, but we went well in excess of this,” he said, adding that the work carried out is a “massive undertaking.”
“We are not in front of everybody’s house in the country as yet, but we are still working towards it.”
Mr. Butler said that even though its contract is not to offer cable services to the entire country, they have since 2002, provided cable to more than 94 per cent of the homes in the country. He noted that since March 7, 1995, when it offered services to its first customer, cable installations have continued in the capital and most of the Family Islands.
“There are pockets on some islands that are not currently on and this year, we have not stop constructing and have been constructing every year. We are virtually finished with New Providence and are about 90 per cent completed, as there are a lot of small pockets that are not completed. There are also a lot of subdivisions being built,” he said. The last two areas in the capital provided with cable were Westridge and Lake Cunningham Estates.
Mr. Butler said that Cable Bahamas provides service to 11 islands and that its 2004 programme includes East End Grand Bahama and High Rock. It recently completed South and North Abaco. He said Cable Bahamas is “looking” at installation in the south end of Eleuthera in 2003 and may cover additional areas in George Town, Exuma.
Mr. Butler said he would like to provide cable services to the entire Bahamas, but Cable Bahamas operates on a 12-month schedule.
“We are still working our way at it. When this year is finished, we will have spent about $124 million so far on the network and will continue to spend as we go. With the remainder of the islands, we do them (provide cable) as the years come up and it’s an on-going continual programme,” he said. “What we did before was touched a lot of the islands, but we did not complete them all, so we were trying to get to as many places as we can at once, but what we are now doing is cleaning up the pockets that we have left behind.”
Mr. Butler said Cable Bahamas is a private corporation and is using the money of its 2,800 shareholders to provide cable services. It employs 240 people of whom more than 95 per cent are Bahamians.
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
