The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) is the largest provider of electronic communications services in the Bahamas and operates fixed, mobile and broadband networks. In April 2011, BTC was partially privatised when Cable and Wireless Communications acquired a 51% stake in the company, while the rest of the shares are state-owned.
The second mobile telecommunications company licensed in The Bahamas is "Be Aliv Limited" (“Aliv”), which is owned by Cable Bahamas Ltd with 48.25% shareholding and HoldingCo2015 Limited with the remaining 51.75% of the shares. The latter is fully owned by the Government of The Bahamas.

The Bahamas is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II). In fact, the country is not a member of the WTO.

According to Art. 39 of the Communications Act, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) may at any time determine that a licensee is a Significant Market Power (SMP) licensee if the licensee, individually or with others, enjoys a position of economic strength which enables it to hinder the maintenance of effective competition on the relevant market by allowing it to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, consumers and subscribers. Under Art. 40.1, the URCA may impose specific conditions on licensees determined to have SMP in the relevant market or relevant markets, including obligations relating to (i) cost recovery and price controls, including obligations for cost orientation of prices and obligations concerning cost accounting systems; and (ii) the submission of regulatory accounts or financial statements separating the key business activities of the licensee.
In 2010, URCA issued its Final Decision on Obligations Imposed on Operators with Significant Market Power and the Final Accounting Separation and Cost Accounting Guidelines for BTC and CBL, thereby imposing accounting separation obligations on SMP operators. Functional separation is not required.

According to Art. 27(1) of the Public Procurement Act, No. 3 of 2023, open competitive bidding for goods and non-consultancy services contracts valued below the threshold of BSD 155,000 (approx. USD 155,000), established in the Third Schedule, must be limited to national bidders. A national bidder is defined as a Bahamian individual or an entity incorporated in The Bahamas and beneficially owned by a Bahamian national. Although Art. 27(3) permits a procuring entity to seek approval from the Chief Procurement Officer to open such below-threshold procurement to international bidders, foreign suppliers are otherwise excluded by default.

The Bahamas has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments. In fact, the country is not a member of the WTO.

According to Art. 52(b)(v) of the 2011 Framework Regional Integration Policy on Public Procurement, CARICOM member States may apply a margin of preference in favour of regional suppliers. However, the provision does not specify the level or percentage of the margin of preference.

It is reported that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.

Art. 43 of the Public Procurement Act of 2023 permits preferential treatment for specific groups, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), businesses owned by women and young people, and businesses operating on less developed islands. A margin of preference should be applied to eligible bids in accordance with any rules prescribed by regulations (Art. 37.4.g). However, the regulations have not yet been adopted. The Public Procurement Act of 2023 repealed and replaced the Public Procurement Act of 2021, which contained the same restriction in its Art. 46. However, the 2021 Act did not elucidate the beneficiaries of the preferential treatment.

Although the Public Procurement Act of 2023 seeks to overhaul the administration of government contracts and strengthen transparency and accountability in procurement processes, stakeholders reportedly continue to identify gaps in the enforcement of procurement rules and risks of favouritism in contract awards. Firms have also reported perceived corruption in government procurement.

The Bahamas is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). In fact, the country is not a member of the WTO.

It is reported that challenges persist in relation to the licensing process for foreign suppliers of electronic payment services in China, where, prior to June 2017, foreign providers were not permitted to apply for licences until the central bank formalised a two-stage licensing framework. As of 2020, no foreign supplier had successfully obtained the licence required to operate in the Chinese market, largely due to procedural delays attributable to the central bank, although that same year American Express became the first foreign provider to secure such a licence, followed by Mastercard in November 2023 after prolonged delays, while the central bank has continued to defer action on the application submitted by Visa for an even longer period, and additional difficulties have been reported in relation to licensing requirements for non-bank providers of online payment services, thereby reinforcing existing barriers to entry into the Chinese market.

According to Art. 45 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Duties (中华人民共和国进出口关税条例), goods within a single consignment, for which the estimated duties do not exceed 50 Yuan (approx. USD 7.5) shall be exempt from duties. In addition, it is reported that China Customs also applies a dedicated e-commerce clearance channel with a goods value de minimis of 5,000 RMB (approx. 700 USD), subject to meeting certain conditions, such as prior carrier and platform registration. Use of this channel is limited to an annual cap of RMB 26,000 (approx. USD 3,600).

According to Art. 53 of the Personal Information Protection Law, personal information processors outside the territory of the People's Republic of China, as specified in Art. 3, shall set up specialised agencies or designate representatives within the territory of the People's Republic of China to be responsible for handling personal information protection related matters, and shall submit the names, contact information, and other information of the agencies and representatives to the departments with personal information protection duties.

According to Art. 5 of the Internet News Information Service Management Regulations, Internet news providers are required to obtain a permit to provide Internet news information services to the social public through Internet websites, application software, forums, blogs, microblogs, public accounts, instant messaging tools, online live streaming, and other such methods. Pursuant to Art. 6 of the regulations, the applicant’s person-in-charge or chief editor must be a Chinese citizen. In addition, the applicant must separately obtain an Internet Information Service license or file procedures with the telecommunications authorities in accordance with the law. In addition, according to Art. 6, to apply for an Internet news information service license, one must have places, facilities, and funds suitable for the service. The Regulations on Administrative Enforcement Procedures for Internet Information Content set out the procedural and administrative processes for the Cyberspace Administration of China to enforce the laws and regulations relating to Internet content.
These provisions broadened the definition of “internet news information services” to “services of collecting, editing, and releasing internet news information; reposting such news information; and providing a platform to spread such news information.” They also broaden the definition of “news information” to include relevant reports and commentaries on politics, the economy, military affairs, foreign affairs, and other public affairs, as well as relevant reports and commentaries on social emergencies.