The government has appointed a committee headed by former Financial Secretary Ruth Millar to assist in the process of liberalizing the telecommunications sector, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is the country's only mobile phone service provider.
Its monopoly ended this month.
"The government has embarked now on the process of liberalization, meaning now there will be another company coming in to The Bahamas, in addition to BTC," said Christie at a ceremony at the Mayaguana airport to mark the return of Bahamasair flights to that island.
"Competition will mean better services, cheaper services . . .where Bahamians will be given a choice. We are on the path for that now.
"I've put a timeline on the process. I'm going to be talking more about it later, but the fact of the matter is it is now in progress, and it's a committee that the government has agreed [to], headed by Mrs. Ruth Millar, the former financial secretary, and with different persons who would be making up that committee from the public and private sector."
Christie did not give details on the liberalization process during his speech.
When asked by The Nassau Guardian for more information he promised to hold a press conference soon to provide more details.
Earlier this month, regional telecommunications provider, Digicel, said it hoped the government would "imminently make an announcement outlining the process" by which the liberalization of the cellular market would occur in the "shortest possible timeframe".
Antonia Graham, Digicel's head of group public relations, previously said the company welcomes the liberalization process and wants The Bahamas to "enjoy the benefits of competition".
The Ingraham administration sold 51 percent of BTC to Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) in April 2011. A condition of that sale was a three year extended monopoly on cellular services.
According to the sale terms, a second cellular service provider can now enter the market.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian