THIS WEEK CONTINUED…
best viagra diagnosis times;”>BTC to launch “Quad Play”
Declaring “war” on the competition in the new era of telecommunications liberalization, cialis buy Chief Execute Officer of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) Leon Williams announced on Monday that BTC is set to introduce a suite of new communication products dubbed “Quad Play” beginning with the launch of its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service with Flow ToGo features in Bimini on December 10. The southern islands are set to receive this service next before BTC launches this product in New Providences, termed the “final battleground.”
He made these comments at a press briefing and presentation at the Island House Hotel near Lyford Cay on Monday.
“In the first week of December, Bimini will be the first island in the country that will have quad play. We will also be providing what we call Flow ToGo – that is, the ability to watch television on your cell phones.”
Beginning in Campertown in eastern New Providence, BTC plans to make this product available through its fiber optic platform to more than 4,000 households per month. This upgrade will make BTC the first company in The Bahamas to offer fiber to the home (FTTH) services.
Williams explained that the Flow ToGo feature of the IPTV service enables the customers to watch television on their mobile phones throughout the country. Additionally, the availability of cloud services would allow subscribers to also record, rewind and fast-forward the programs of their choice in real time.
Williams pointed to BTC’s current $75 million capital budget to finance new television services and to modernize the company’s communications infrastructure as clear demonstrations of the company’s unmatched commitment to innovation and development throughout the entire Bahamas, even in a liberalized environment.
In Passing…
Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie announced this week the appointment of noted Chartered Accountant and Managing Partner of Grant Thornton Bahamas Mr. Paul Andrew “Andy” Gomez as the new Bahamas Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. Mr. Gomez takes up residence in Beijing early next year.
During his House communication on Monday of this week, former PLP member and now Independent member for Marco City the Hon. Gregory Moss announced his newly formed political party, the United Democratic Party (UDP). He later told the press that his party was formed to fight and eliminate government corruption and change the country’s political paradigm from “theatrics” to “presenting concrete proposals.” He said that he fully expects the UDP to contest all seats in the 2017 general elections.
In a press statement this week, the government of The Bahamas expressed its deep regrets, sincere sympathy and condolences to the family of Mr. Lomu, the All Blacks rugby team, the People, and the government of New Zealand over the news of the recent passing of New Zealand rugby union great Mr. Jonah Lomu. Mr. Lomu was widely considered to be one of the greatest rugby players of all time, and an inspiration to many. He will be sorely missed.
The Office of the Attorney General secured a delay in the winding up hearing on Baha Mar until the 1st February 2016. Attorney Loran Klein said the government did not want to proceed with an immediate winding up after some new and significant developments at Bah Mar. Among the list of suitors vying for ownership of Baha Mar are former Atlantis owner Sir Sol Kerzner and his partner, Andrew Farkas, principal of Island Capital Group.
A national service of thanksgiving and repentance was held at the Evangelistic Temple on Collins Avenue on Wednesday of this week. Worshippers thanked God that no lives were lost during the recent passage of category four Hurricane Joaquin. Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, Minister of Social Services and Community Development the Hon. Melanie Griffin, CARICOM Ambassador the Hon. Picewell Forbes and Opposition Leader the Hon. Hubert Minnis were among those in attendance to give thanks.
The former Nassau Palm Resort has reopened its doors on Wednesday of this week after $25 million in renovations. The project is a venture between Sunset Equities and Sterling Investment. The resort opened with 118 rooms in operation and at the conclusion of its second phase in 2016, that total is expected to increase to 201 rooms and suites.
Thanksgiving is the biggest and most important holiday in the United States, but Bahamians took the opportunity to give thanks this week. The celebrations began as early as Tuesday when wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Bernadette Christie addressed a Thanksgiving Day luncheon under the theme, “Embracing Humanity,” held in recognition of teachers, administrators and staff of Eva Hilton Primary School (formerly Oakes Field Primary School), and the Northwestern District Teachers of the Year 2015-2017, at the Paul Farquharson Conference Center, East Street, on Tuesday. On Thursday several thanksgiving event took place. A special service of thanksgiving was held at the Straw Market Authority with the Governor General as the special guest. Just down the street the Ministry of Tourism hosted a thanksgiving luncheon at Pompey Square; the tourists loved it. The Island Luck Gaming Company treated the students and faculty at the Centerville and Woodcock Primary schools to a thanksgiving luncheon as part of their community outreach program. United Faith Ministries also held a thanksgiving luncheon off Fire Trail Road to celebrate the occasion.
Well The Bahamas was successful once again in its bid to secure a seat on the prestigious executive council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for 2016. The IMO is an agency of the United Nations that oversees global maritime activities. Voting took place on Friday in London. Commercial shipping and ship registration are significant and growing components of the Bahamian economy and its physical environment and a seat at the IMO table is important to The Bahamas in advancing its economic interests internationally. Special thanks go out to Bahamas Prime Minister Christie; Transport Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin; Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell; her PS Lorraine Armbrister and Captain Davie Rolle and his staff at the Bahamas Maritime office in London for all of their hard work and a job well done.
Minister of the Environment and Housing, Hon. Kenred Dorsett, will leave the country this Friday for Paris, France where he will join the Bahamian delegation at the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties (COP) 21. Ahead of the meeting the Second National Communication (SNC) of The Bahamas has been sent to the UN Secretariat.
For the first time, the Medical Review Board of the National Insurance Board met outside of Nassau on Friday, 27th November 2015. Holding a press conference to discuss this and other issues was Labour and Public Service Minister the Hon. D. Shane Gibson.
During this weekend, Governor-General Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In her absence, our premier historian Dr. Gail Saunders will be sworn in as Deputy to the Governor-General by Chief Justice Sir Hartman Longley.
About the author: Elcott Coleby is a Deputy Director at the Bahamas Information Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (B.Sc) and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He provides frequent commentary on public policy and communicates the works of the government. Address all comments to the following email: egcoleby44@gmail.com