Bahamas mobile operator Aliv has upgraded its network to LTE-A technology in the areas of New Providence and Grand Bahama, according to a news report that cites company CEO Damian Blackburn. “You can now get speeds in the 50–100 Mbps range if you’re using an Apple or Samsung premium phone,” Blackburn said, calling the improved performance “a regional first.” The operator met the end-of-June 2018 deadline for completing its nationwide rollout when it launched mobile services in Ragged Island.

The operator now has 232 mobile sites across the Bahamas following an investment of around US $135 million, according to the CEO.

Tarifica’s Take

Aliv was launched at the end of 2016 by Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) in partnership with the government, when the 16-year monopoly on mobile communications held by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) came to an end. So in this case, being the second entrant into a market can be considered first-mover status. And as BTC’s first competitor, Aliv has certainly taken a significant amount of business away—as of the end of 2017, BTC had lost around 60,000 subscribers, with Aliv claiming it had a customer base of 97,000. Currently it has around 110,000 subscribers, which constitutes a 32 percent market share.

Now Aliv is grabbing first-mover advantage in the field of network innovation, by offering ultra-high-speed LTE-A service before its larger rival. If the new network measures up to the promises in terms of delivering the highest speeds, and if Bahamian consumers feel they can make use of such speeds and are willing to pay the price, Aliv’s investment will pay dividends. So far, the new operator has been rewarded for its boldness; in order for its fortunes to continue to rise, it must consistently offer high-quality products.