Editing Telecommunications in the Bahamas

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
'''Telecommunications in the Bahamas''' is accomplished through the transmission of information by various types of technologies within [[The Bahamas]], mainly [[telephones]], [[radio]], [[television]], and the [[Internet]].

==Status==
[[File:ARCOS-1-route.png|right|thumb|325px|Route of the [[ARCOS-1]] [[fiber optic]] [[submarine communications cable]]. 22 is [[Crooked Island, Bahamas|Crooked Island]], 23 is [[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]], and 24 is [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], [[Bahamas]].]]

{| style="width:450px; border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; <!-- font-size:90%; float:right; --> "
|-
!colspan=2 |Telecommunications in the Bahamas
|-
|valign="top" |[[Telephone]]s:
|valign="top" |137,000 fixed lines, 141st in the world (2012).<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bahamas-the/ "Communications:: Bahamas, The"], ''The World Factbook'', U.S. Central Agency, 28 October 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.</ref><br/>
254,000 [[cell phone|mobile cellular]] lines, 176th in the world (2012).<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
*''general assessment:'' modern facilities;<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
*''domestic:'' totally automatic system; highly developed;<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
*''domestic submarine cables:'' the [[Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network]] links 14 of the islands;<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
*''international:'' landing point for the [[ARCOS-1|Americas Region Caribbean Ring System]] (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
*''satellites:'' two earth stations (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
|-
|valign="top" |[[List of country calling codes|Calling code]]:
|valign="top" |[[Area code 242|+1 242]]<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
|-
|valign="top" |[[Radio]]:
|valign="top" |about 15 radio stations operating with BCB operating a multi-channel radio broadcasting network alongside privately owned radio stations (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
|-
|valign="top" |[[Television in the Bahamas|Television]]:
|valign="top" |2 stations ([[ZNS-TV|one]] in Nassau and one in Freeport, a [[rebroadcaster|rebroadcast]] [[transmitter]], commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB); multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
|-
|valign="top" |[[Internet]]:
|valign="top" |226,855 users, 152nd in the world  (2012).<ref name=ITU-IndividualsUsingTheInternet>[http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000–2012"], International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013</ref><br/>71.7% of the population, 47th in the world  (2012).<ref name="ITU-IndividualsUsingTheInternet"/>
|-
|&nbsp;
|8,730 fixed broadband subscriptions, 52nd in the world (2012).<ref name="FixedBroadbandITUDynamic2012">[http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"], Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, [[International Telecommunication Union]]. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.</ref><br/>2.8% of the population, 120th in the world (2012).<ref name="FixedBroadbandITUDynamic2012"/>
|-
|&nbsp;
|20,661 hosts, 117th in the world (2012).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003750/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2184rank.html "Internet hosts"], ''CIA World Factbook'', U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2012, accessed 17 June 2013</ref><br/>121,856 IPv4 addresses allocated, 385 for every 1,000 people (2012).<ref>[http://www.countryipblocks.net/country-blocks/select-formats/ Select Formats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513033601/http://www.countryipblocks.net/country-blocks/select-formats/ |date=13 May 2009 }}, Country RFI IP Blocks. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Site is said to be updated daily.</ref>
|-
|valign="top" |[[Top level domain]]:
|valign="top" |[[.bs]]<ref name=CIAWFB-Bahamas-2013/>
|-
|valign="top" |[[Internet Service Provider]]s (ISPs):{{citation needed |date=November 2013}}
|valign="top" |
* Coralwave ([https://web.archive.org/web/20000819082628/http://www.coralwave.com/ www.coralwave.com]), cable, direct fibre.
* Batelnet ([http://www.batelnet.bs/ www.batelnet.bs]), dial up, DSL.
* Speedway Internet ([https://web.archive.org/web/20031028232923/http://www.xspbahamas.com/ www.xspbahamas.com]), dial up, DSL, wireless.
* DSL Bahamas ([https://web.archive.org/web/20031213100709/http://www.dslbahamas.com/ www.dslbahamas.com]), DSL.
* BGC ([http://www.bgcbahamas.com/ www.bgcbahamas.com]), wireless.
* Out Island Internet ([http://www.abacoinet.com/ www.abacoinet.com]), dial up, wireless.
* Wicom Bahamas ([https://www.wicombahamas.com/])
|}

==Internet censorship and surveillance==

Access to the Internet is unrestricted.<ref name=FITW-Bahamas-2013>[http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2013/bahamas "Bahamas"], ''Freedom in the World 2013'', Freedom House. Retrieved 15 November 2013.</ref> There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors [[e-mail]] or Internet [[chat rooms]] without [[judicial oversight]].<ref name=CROHRP-Bahamas-2012>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2012&dlid=204424 "The Bahamas"], ''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.</ref>

The constitution provides for [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of the press|press]], and the government generally respects these rights in practice. An independent press combined with a relatively effective—albeit extremely backlogged—judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system ensures freedom of speech and press. The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.<ref name=CROHRP-Bahamas-2012/> Strict and antiquated libel laws dating to British legal codes are seldom invoked.<ref name=FITW-Bahamas-2013/>

In April 2013, the Bahamas [[Commissioner of Police]] [[Ellison Greenslade]] warned that the police would press charges against people who post “lewd” or “obscene” pictures on social media websites and Attorney General [[Allyson Maynard-Gibson]] announced that the government was working on legislation that will police information posted on the Internet. "We have to balance freedom of the press with protecting the public,” she added.<ref>[http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Offend-someone-online-in-Grenada...-go-to-jail-16592.html "Offend someone online in Grenada... go to jail"], ''Caribbean News Now'', 1 July 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.</ref> Also in April Rodney Moncur was charged with "committing a grossly indecent act" by posting autopsy photographs of a man who died in police custody on his [[Facebook]] page.<ref>[http://www.tribune242.com/news/2013/apr/05/rodney-moncur-charged-in-court-over-facebook/ "Rodney Moncur Charged In Court Over Facebook Pictures"], Lamech Johnson, ''Tribune 242'', 5 April 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.</ref>

Phone calls to the Bahamas are monitored by the U.S. [[National Security Agency]]'s [[MYSTIC (surveillance)|MYSTIC]] program.

==See also==
* [[Bahamas]]
* [[BTC (Bahamas)]], Bahamas Telecommunications Company, primary telecommunications provider for the Bahamas, partly government owned.
* [[List of television stations in the Caribbean]]
* [[Television in the Bahamas]]
* [[ZNS-1]], Radio Bahamas, state-owned
* [[ZNS-TV|ZNS-TV 13]], state-owned

==References==
{{CIA World Factbook}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.register.bs/ BSNIC], Bahamas Network Information Center.
* [http://www.btcbahamas.com/ Bahamas Telecommunications Company], website.
* [http://www.znsbahamas.com/ ZNS Bahamas], website.
* [https://www.submarinecablemap.com/country/bahamas Bahamas], SubmarineCableMap.com

{{Bahamas radio}}
{{Bahamas topics|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Americas topic|Telecommunications in}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Internet censorship by country}}

[[Category:Communications in the Bahamas| ]]
[[Category:Telecommunications by country|Bahamas]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in the Caribbean by country|Bahamas]]