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Governor General, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Cynthia Pratt paid last respects to the late Hon. Obadiah Wilchcombe, Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, also Minister responsible for Social Services, Information & Broadcasting, at Lie-in-State ceremonies in the Foyer of the House of Assembly on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. 

The Bahamas will host what Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell said is the largest agricultural event in the region next week.

Caribbean Week of Agriculture will be held at Breezes on October 9, and will include a panel on cannabis farming in anticipation of this country passing legislation on medical cannabis use and cannabis growing.

According to Campbell, 300 people already registered for the event and experts from Belize, Jamaica, and St. Lucia are expected to speak.

Campbell said 21 CARICOM countries are expected to attend the conference and expo.

He said the conference will feature a number of closed sessions, including the 13th special meeting of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Ministerial Council.

Campbell added that some of the topics for the seminar will include youth in dialogue; dining production; productivity initiatives; leveraging opportunities for enhanced plant breeding innovation by building a regional roadmap; and also the cost of healthy eating in the Caribbean.

He added that other agricultural organizations such as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) will be in attendance.

"We will have over 30 vendors that will be showcasing both regional and local products," said Campbell.

"Throughout this event we intend to connect producers, buyers, and host business-to-business seminars that will educate producers on the ever changing standards of buyers."

Campbell's predecessor in the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Clay Sweeting, worked to begin several programs aimed at reducing the country's reliance on imported food.

Campbell said this conference is part of the continuing move to have the country grow more of what it eats and come closer to being food independent.

Global Nexus Limited (GNX), the leading ‘neutral carrier’ multi-telecommunications provider in The Bahamas, announced today its partnership with Cable Bahamas to lay a world-class sub-sea fibre network to 34 Cays from Norman’s Cay to Great Exuma.

At a joint Press Briefing, both GNX and Cable Bahamas spoke of the commercial and residential multi-function, world-class fibre infrastructure the connectivity upgrade will bring to the Family Islands.

Mark Hammerton, GNX chief technology officer explained the company's business model and the exciting partnership with Cable Bahamas. “We are a ‘neutral carrier’ multi-telecom provider meaning we are able to partner with Cable Bahamas and other telecom industry leaders to deploy our fibre technology where and as needed.

“Internet infrastructure is critical for a nation’s socio-economic development. Our focus is on delivering technologically advanced, groundbreaking services in line with the government's guidelines and economic growth initiatives. This partnership with Cable Bahamas is in keeping with the government’s same nation-building initiatives.”

Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Exuma, The Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, in recognising the benefits of advanced communication technology is supportive of the Exuma fibre rollout programme.

“The establishment of this new fibre network will provide a welcome boost to the Exumas as well as major benefits to real estate and homeowners.

“In keeping with the growth of tourism in the islands, the ease of communication and its advanced capabilities are expected to attract businesses and investment from across the board as well as offer constant connection for Airbnb units. -more-

“It will enhance the experience of tourists traveling to the Exumas and further upgrade The Bahamas as a world-class destination.”

Co-founder and company director, Andrew Allen spoke of Sir William Allen, his late father, and the role he played in the startup of the company.

“l brought this idea to my father in 2008 originally as an international project but we decided to start in The Bahamas and progress to the international idea, which is still the plan.

“But in recent years the need for fiber optic projects throughout The Bahamas became clear and we partnered with Cable Bahamas for this Exuma pilot project. This won't be the last highest quality fiber optic internet service we bring to the Family Islands. We are in the planning stages of at least two other projects of similar scope.”

Mr Allen said that the Exuma pilot will allow them to see the extent of the impact on the local communities and to ascertain other opportunities for downstream businesses.

“If successful we would immediately implement elsewhere,” he said. “And with Cable Bahamas, we're also looking to partner with smaller ‘last mile’ providers. So, it's an enabling tool on a number of levels. It's a piece of infrastructure that modernizes the country and enables new business opportunities that never existed before.”

GlobalNexus director, Ted Boyle and technical officer John Stears are both internationally experienced broadband, cable, and satellite industry veterans. Their passion for the success of the company through the advancement of GlobalNexus fibre connectivity throughout the islands of The Bahamas has inspired and motivated the executive leadership and the tech teams on the ground.

Franklyn Butler II, CEO of Cable Bahamas Group of Companies, remarked:

“This under-sea fibre project, a collaboration with GlobalNexus, marks a significant milestone in Cable Bahamas' commitment to spearheading technological advancement in Exuma.

“Currently, our focus is on enhancing connectivity by establishing a backbone infrastructure that will predominantly cater to high-demand nodes and vital economic centres. -more-

“However, this is a crucial step in paving the way for more extensive subsequent advantages, ultimately fostering a more connected community. Furthermore, this partnership reaffirms our commitment to establishing a foundation for a resilient and economically vibrant Bahamas where communities can thrive.”

A real estate agent expressed his enthusiasm for the Exuma Cays initiative. Gavin Christie, managing partner at Corcoran CA Christie Real Estate, foresaw the super-fast ‘always on’ fiber connectivity, strengthening the local economy.

“Exuma and its Cays are considered some of the most beautiful places in the world for Bahamians, residents, and tourists to live, visit, and work in. Every sector will benefit from the increased ease of doing business that this lifestyle upgrade brings.” 

Global Nexus Limited (GNX), the leading ‘neutral carrier’ multi-telecommunications provider in The Bahamas, announced today its partnership with Cable Bahamas to lay a world-class sub-sea fibre network to 34 Cays from Norman’s Cay to Great Exuma. At a joint Press Briefing, both GNX and Cable Bahamas spoke of the commercial and residential multi-function, world-class fibre infrastructure the connectivity upgrade will bring to the Family Islands. Mark Hammerton, GNX chief technology officer explained the company's business model and the exciting partnership with Cable Bahamas. “We are a ‘neutral carrier’ multi-telecom provider meaning we are able to partner with Cable Bahamas and other telecom industry leaders to deploy our fibre technology where and as needed. “Internet infrastructure is critical for a nation’s socio-economic development. Our focus is on delivering technologically advanced, groundbreaking services in line with the government's guidelines and economic growth initiatives. This partnership with Cable Bahamas is in keeping with the government’s same nation-building initiatives.” Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Exuma, The Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, in recognising the benefits of advanced communication technology is supportive of the Exuma fibre rollout programme. “The establishment of this new fibre network will provide a welcome boost to the Exumas as well as major benefits to real estate and homeowners. “In keeping with the growth of tourism in the islands, the ease of communication and its advanced capabilities are expected to attract businesses and investment from across the board as well as offer constant connection for Airbnb units. -more- “It will enhance the experience of tourists traveling to the Exumas and further upgrade The Bahamas as a world-class destination.” Co-founder and company director, Andrew Allen spoke of Sir William Allen, his late father, and the role he played in the startup of the company. “l brought this idea to my father in 2008 originally as an international project but we decided to start in The Bahamas and progress to the international idea, which is still the plan. “But in recent years the need for fiber optic projects throughout The Bahamas became clear and we partnered with Cable Bahamas for this Exuma pilot project. This won't be the last highest quality fiber optic internet service we bring to the Family Islands. We are in the planning stages of at least two other projects of similar scope.” Mr Allen said that the Exuma pilot will allow them to see the extent of the impact on the local communities and to ascertain other opportunities for downstream businesses. “If successful we would immediately implement elsewhere,” he said. “And with Cable Bahamas, we're also looking to partner with smaller ‘last mile’ providers. So, it's an enabling tool on a number of levels. It's a piece of infrastructure that modernizes the country and enables new business opportunities that never existed before.” GlobalNexus director, Ted Boyle and technical officer John Stears are both internationally experienced broadband, cable, and satellite industry veterans. Their passion for the success of the company through the advancement of GlobalNexus fibre connectivity throughout the islands of The Bahamas has inspired and motivated the executive leadership and the tech teams on the ground. Franklyn Butler II, CEO of Cable Bahamas Group of Companies, remarked: “This under-sea fibre project, a collaboration with GlobalNexus, marks a significant milestone in Cable Bahamas' commitment to spearheading technological advancement in Exuma. “Currently, our focus is on enhancing connectivity by establishing a backbone infrastructure that will predominantly cater to high-demand nodes and vital economic centres. -more- “However, this is a crucial step in paving the way for more extensive subsequent advantages, ultimately fostering a more connected community. Furthermore, this partnership reaffirms our commitment to establishing a foundation for a resilient and economically vibrant Bahamas where communities can thrive.” A real estate agent expressed his enthusiasm for the Exuma Cays initiative. Gavin Christie, managing partner at Corcoran CA Christie Real Estate, foresaw the super-fast ‘always on’ fiber connectivity, strengthening the local economy. “Exuma and its Cays are considered some of the most beautiful places in the world for Bahamians, residents, and tourists to live, visit, and work in. Every sector will benefit from the increased ease of doing business that this lifestyle upgrade brings.”