{"id":145950,"date":"2019-01-30T06:15:46","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T11:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=145950"},"modified":"2019-01-30T06:31:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T11:31:13","slug":"ict-040-regulating-net-neutrality-top-services-stephen-bereaux-utilities-regulation-competition-authority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2019\/01\/ict-040-regulating-net-neutrality-top-services-stephen-bereaux-utilities-regulation-competition-authority\/","title":{"rendered":"ICT 040:  Regulating net neutrality and over the top services with Stephen Bereaux of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Net neutrality continues to be a regulatory issue that has not been decisively resolved globally, or in the Caribbean. However, last year, the Bahamas sought to establish a policy position on the matter. We discuss that process and the final outcome with Stephen Bereaux, CEO of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) in the Bahamas, plus the country\u2019s regulatory environment, and the role URCA is likely to play in the Smart Bahamas\/Smart Island initiative that is being implemented.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/566993568&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>This episode is also available in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast\/id1373550291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple iTunes<\/a>\u00a0and on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/ict-pulse-podcast?refid=stpr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stitcher<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Network (or net) neutrality has been, and continues to be, an ICT regulatory topic that is regularly debated. It has been a contentious issue for at least the past seven years, and In the past two years, its flames were fanned, thanks to plans by the United States (US) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to roll back some of the protection afforded under the net neutrality principle.<\/p>\n<p>In the Caribbean, net neutrality is also a contentious issue \u2013 though not as vociferous as in the US. Virtually all policymakers and regulators want net neutrality principles to be upheld, whilst network operators in the region would like to be able to be throttle traffic\/transmission speeds and have specific customers pay for higher speeds, as needed. However, in many instances, the telecoms legislation across the region does not explicitly uphold net neutrality. For example, last week in one of the Jamaican newspapers, there was an article in which members of academia were of the view that local telecoms\/ICT regulations should be upgraded to ensure \u201c<em>effective net neutrality in Jamaica<\/em>\u201d (Source:\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/jamaica-gleaner.com\/article\/news\/20190123\/technology-focus-academia-supports-upgrading-regulations-net-neutrality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Gleaner<\/a>). Hence, due to the nebulousness still that exists, there is an uneasy tension between Caribbean regulators and network operators.<\/p>\n<p>One of the countries that recently sought to bring clarity on its position on net neutrality is The Bahamas. Last year, its telecom\/ICT regulator, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), organised a public consultation on the topic, and its final decision was issued in December 2018.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_145953\" style=\"width: 370px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145953\" data-attachment-id=\"145953\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2019\/01\/ict-040-regulating-net-neutrality-top-services-stephen-bereaux-utilities-regulation-competition-authority\/stephen-bereaux-source-urca\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?fit=640%2C628&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"640,628\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D700&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1490954524&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;85&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Stephen Bereaux (Source &#8211; URCA)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Stephen Bereaux&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?fit=300%2C294&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?fit=640%2C628&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-145953\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fgd.dfv.mybluehost.me\/.website_c81a1e61\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?resize=360%2C353&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"360\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Stephen-Bereaux-Source-URCA.jpg?resize=300%2C294&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-145953\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Bereaux<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Hence, in this episode, we are chatting with Stephen Bereaux, URCA\u2019s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Stephen is a lawyer by profession, and has worked in Caribbean regulatory organisations for nearly a decade and a half. He was recently appointed URCA CEO, having been held the positions of Director of Electronic Communications and Director of Policy and Regulation for several years.<\/p>\n<p>In our discussion with Stephen, we discussed net neutrality, the recent URCA consultation, and the regulatory environment in The Bahamas. We also took the opportunity to discuss the role that URCA, as a regulator, is likely to play in the Smart Bahamas\/Smart Island initiative that currently being implemented:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why URCA felt the need to establish an official policy position on network neutrality<\/li>\n<li>In URCA\u2019s view, the connection between net neutrality and OTT services<\/li>\n<li>An outline of URCA\u2019s consultation process work<\/li>\n<li>URCA\u2019s final position on net neutrality<\/li>\n<li>How URCA has changed over the years<\/li>\n<li>How has URCA has dealt with the likely stroppy and high-handed attitude players in the market tend to display<\/li>\n<li>How URCA is likely to contribute to the Bahamas\u2019 goal of becoming a Smart Island<\/li>\n<li>Short-to-medium term goals Stephen would goals like to achieve whilst the CEO of URCA.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We would love to hear your thoughts!<\/p>\n<p>Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ICTPulse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ict-pulse-consulting-limited\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0pages, or via Twitter,\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ICTPulse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@ICTPulse<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Select links<\/h3>\n<p>Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stephen-bereaux-0a64a133\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen Bereaux<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.urcabahamas.bs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urcabahamas.bs\/consultations\/urcas-preliminary-position-net-neutrality-ott-services-bahamas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ECS 03\/2018 URCA\u2019s Preliminary Position on Net Neutrality and OTT Services in The Bahamas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urcabahamas.bs\/consultation\/?orderby=date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ECS 12\/2018 Statement of Results and Final Determination on Net Neutrality and OTT Services<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Nassau Guardian article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/thenassauguardian.com\/2018\/12\/12\/btc-fined-102004-by-urca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BTC fined\u00a0$102,004\u00a0by URCA<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Bahamas Local.com article, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bahamaslocal.com\/newsitem\/122480\/URCA_fines_BTC_15M_over_March_2014_outage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">URCA fines BTC 1.5M over March 2014 outage<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Government of Bahamas,,\u00a0 <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bahamas.gov.bs\/wps\/portal\/public\/gov\/government\/news\/new%20providence%20declared%20the%20worlds%20first%20smart%20island\/!ut\/p\/b1\/vZTZbqMwFIafpQ-QYsx-acISwr4Fwg2iJJCwxBBIgDz9pFKlqiNN52Y6PleW_nM--7NkIiFiIrlk93OZjWd8yZr3fcKmFFBNhGje5BUWAS2kFIrREaW65DOwfwbAHxYCX_ttGAhAI9ckq4cMUDeQiIh4swezNJiljPw0x6QhotYOkvEyy1C-5WY74ULBRcW5WQOT7ro7k_R65JxxVUV7zHuUbi0ahKJP8ddwOeZmsC1QFNay3saLi53umhVLEJb5eiuuhS50Yc1MTdJ5mr7vpWMwjaHqc2JDFo-H4NVn37ozb75-KnDqRJVj99trYWflNPdWfNim0USOYIjwNLODJVwq_mTzw_zh4ZuL_sVjRCTfqtLIj8A3qq0Nbo_E_hnjPueowQ485wDk-aQLeI4jAiIGdOpXS6c96odXPfzZl1xoSooDqujhS0ZshY3tC4k1VGgBj5C0rvvJkuk5qBvDFxznsPNCEUmpSSLmd-DXg_sq9dNAlbH5p0wucBADnyLY_w1kfgqo2qa7flcaiO9Kqc0GsQZly-T_Bv77N9wSyfmtfZ3y9hW8MjTJMAIJBRZykCM5YnfZ09xbac6S7N-nOml2_TW4FblojYMca62hhKLgSnpUxINxKoWy2_TSjl_MOKWc7JClcSyeKmNT3_1lVrzidspuLNDDRpm1DPZ2sOaUHYbd6khH3OoQKQBzxUjlpwD0TZugRC-hYvSu7tYLHqDO9gc8btne0xSlVuSu3PIKnurLadE1NWqQOVRGxEg8Z7dVXHSG2R44uV4X6WFgZwxF705FgF_uMU4vz38mpQ9XwKNMz70VfiG6NrwbrMdbxWeZ6OXlF-9uKVk!\/dl4\/d5\/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Providence Declared the World\u2019s First \u2018Smart Island\u2019<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Bahamas Trade Info, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bahamastradeinfo.gov.bs\/buy\/2017\/07\/14\/bahamas-utilize-smart-technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bahamas to Utilize Smart Technology<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>Government of Bahamas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/mofa.gov.bs\/bahamas-successful-bid-seat-itu-council-2019-2023-term\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Bahamas successful in bid for seat on ITU Council 2019-2023 term<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>The Tribune, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tribune242.com\/news\/2017\/nov\/16\/technology-hub-planned-for-grand-bahama-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology Hub Planned For Grand Bahama Future<\/a> <\/em><\/li>\n<li>Caribbean Journal, <em>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caribjournal.com\/2018\/05\/04\/grand-bahama-tech-hub-vision-moves-forward\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grand Bahama Tech Hub Vision Moves Forward<\/a> <\/em><\/li>\n<li>ICT Pulse Podcast, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2QeLqYi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICTP 034: Realising 21st Century Government in the Caribbean, with Bernadette Lewis of the CTU<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Image credits:\u00a0 florantevaldez (<a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pixabay<\/a>); URCA<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Music credit: Ray Holman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Net neutrality continues to be a regulatory issue that has not been decisively resolved globally, or in the Caribbean. However, last year, the Bahamas sought to establish a policy position [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[355],"tags":[83,71,308,12,280],"class_list":["post-145950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-bahamas","tag-businesses","tag-net-neutrality","tag-regulation","tag-smart-cities","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/microphone-podcast-pop-filter-florantevaldez-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2iE1G-BY2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145950"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145970,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145950\/revisions\/145970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}