Mid-Altantic Blue Chip Telecom and E-commerce Hub
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Renee Webb
Minister of Telecommunications and E-Commerce
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ypical of its innovative approach to international business, Bermuda has been liberalizing and upgrading its telecommunications sector since 1995, and, through allowing increased competition, has managed to bring down telecommunications costs for users while offering new products and services. As a parallel initiative, Bermuda has successfully positioned itself as a top e-commerce base.
As Renee Webb, Minister of Telecommunications and E-Commerce, points out, “One of the key components of attracting businesses in the e-commerce field is making sure that you have an excellent telecommunications infrastructure in place. We are positioning Bermuda as an e-commerce location and in tandem with that we are working hand-in-hand with the telecommunications sector in order to have competitive pricing, to make sure that all the needed services are available, to have a state-of-the-art infrastructure.”
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As a means of attracting top companies in the e-commerce field, Bermuda became the second country in the world (after Singapore) to enact forward-thinking e-commerce legislation. As Webb says of Bermuda’s Electronic Transactions Act, “This is a living document, which means it will change to follow market changes.” The legislation ensures a fair playing field for foreign investors as well as excellent long-term prospects for e-commerce investments in Bermuda.
In five years, Webb says, “Our e-commerce will be established internationally, and we will be the mid-Atlantic blue chip hub!” To potential US investors, she concludes, “If you are looking at e-commerce and jurisdiction, you should definitely take a closer look at Bermuda. Bermuda is a competitive place to set up your business.” |
| The Bermuda Telephone Company Ltd. (BTC) |
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he Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC) has an illustrious history dating back to 1887, when a group of people wanted to link one end of Front Street to the other with a telephone line. Since then BTC has been at the cutting edge of every advance in telecommunications for more than a century, making it an active participant in the evolution of Bermuda itself.
Bermuda has grown in importance as an international business center precisely because its telecommunications infrastructure is so advanced. That is due to BTC, which activated the island’s first telephone exchange as far back as 1887 – before many nations had even discovered the telephone. |
As BTC President Lorraine Lyle explains, “Bermuda’s sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure means that you can work remotely from here. Business tools are very advanced, and BTC is the cornerstone of communications on the island.”
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“We are an integral part of communications on the island.”
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BTC is still the local provider of choice for the majority of Bermudians and is one of Bermuda’s largest companies. The company continues to invest heavily in improving and upgrading its lines and services. It now offers a high-speed DSL service for customers, connecting its cables to those of the four licensed long distance companies.
Lyle says that customers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and so BTC will continue to invest in bringing the latest technologies to Bermuda. “BTC is in the delivery business, so our future will depend on what manufacturers invent and bring to customers,” she says. “The future is in customer service, and how you treat your customers.”
BTC invests heavily in its equipment and technology, as well as its staff. It believes that “service is the image provider,” according to Lyle, and so every BTC employee undergoes rigorous training. As a lynchpin of the island, BTC also takes its corporate responsibility duties very seriously, sponsoring events and mentoring local schoolchildren. “Bermuda has established itself as a prime business center in the global sense, and BTC is an integral part of communications on the island,” concludes Lyle. |
The Bermuda Telephone Company Ltd. (BTC) (back)
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Secure World Class Colocation
Tel.: 441 295-1001
www.btc.bm |
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