By Gerrino Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

Similar to many government and quasi government organizations, The Bahamas
Telecommunications Company (BTC) has no doubt been saddled with legacy issues when it
comes to poor and inconsistent quality of service, so much so that Deputy Prime Minister
Chester Cooper could no longer bite his tongue on how disappointed he is with the telephone and
internet service provided by BTC.
While speaking at the Utilities Regulations and Competition Authority (URCA) Digital
Transformation Forum 2023 Towards a Digital Bahamas on Wednesday, the deputy prime
minster did not mince his words when speaking about BTC.
He said, “We are unhappy share holders. It is most embarrassing to have calls dropped just as I
get on my stride to convincing a foreign direct investor who happens to be a billionaire invested
many places in the world; but just after I talk about our state of democracy, just after I talk about
our political stable environment and the beauty of our country, then I talk about the stable ICT
(Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure and the call drops.”
As the Government of The Bahamas owns 49 percent shares in BTC, DPM Cooper went on to
say it is embarrassing to be a part owner of a company that cannot provide the service needed for
customers to do business communicate with family and friends, do home work or research. He
said it is something that has bothered him for some time now.
“I’ve had this on my mind for lil while, so I’m thankful for you giving me the opportunity to get
this off my chest,” he said.
“As we’re speaking with the KACST Tech Hub (King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology) Tech Hub the largest in Saudi Arabia about the possibility of establishing a tech
partnership, the call drops,” said Mr. Cooper.
Continuing he said, “In our opinion this has gone on long enough. We must deliver on the
service we promised, you must deliver on your commitments under the laws of the
Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”