BUSINESS · BAHAMAS
Key Facts
- —The country The Bahamas, where the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is the long-established phone, mobile and internet provider, partly owned by the government.
- —What happened Chief executive Sameer Bhatti is stepping down after about four years in the post, BTC said in a statement published by ZNS on 2 October 2026.
- —Who is involved Board chair Inge Smidts will lead operations in the interim. BTC’s immediate parent is Liberty Caribbean (formerly Cable & Wireless Communications), part of Liberty Latin America.
- —What it means for you The statement announced no change to services or prices. The interim chair says her focus is reliable connectivity and customer experience.
- —Still open BTC has not named a successor, given a leaving date or said how long the interim arrangement will last.
The BTC CEO, Sameer Bhatti, is stepping down from the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, the country’s long-established phone and internet provider. The company announced the move in a statement published on 2 October 2026 by ZNS, the state broadcaster.
Board chair Inge Smidts will run the business until a new chief executive is appointed. The statement gave no leaving date and named no successor.
What BTC said
According to the statement, Bhatti told the board he is leaving “to pursue other professional opportunities.” The company thanked him for his “significant contributions” during his tenure.
BTC said Bhatti has committed to “a smooth and orderly leadership transition.” It added that the board and senior management have been conducting “a comprehensive executive search” since he informed them.
The company promised further updates once a final appointment is made. In the meantime, Smidts will focus on “high speed, reliable connectivity” and customer service, the statement said.
As of Saturday morning, coverage rested on the company’s own statement, carried by ZNS and the Bahamas Spectator. No independent reporting had yet appeared.
Who runs the company
BTC is partly owned by the Bahamian government, but day-to-day control sits with a private partner. Its immediate parent is Liberty Caribbean, which dropped the Cable & Wireless Communications name in 2025. The ultimate parent is Liberty Latin America.
Smidts is no stranger to the business. When Bhatti was hired in September 2022, Eye Witness News named her as BTC’s board chair. It also described her as chief executive of Cable & Wireless Communications, the group now called Liberty Caribbean.
Handing operations to the chair, rather than to an acting chief executive, keeps the parent group close to daily decisions. It also means no single executive is yet accountable for the next phase.
Live Market IntelligenceCrypto — Live Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Crypto — Live Market Board
-0.26%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | 63,384 | -0.26% | -47.24% | 63,552 | 64,346 | 63,305 | 22,774,743,040 |
| ETH | 1,886 | +0.26% | -58.90% | 1,881 | 1,920 | 1,879 | 7,916,475,392 |
| SOL | 75.89 | -0.40% | -60.44% | 76.20 | 76.99 | 75.39 | 1,473,821,056 |
| XRP | 1.01 | -1.15% | -69.07% | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.01 | 1,144,044,416 |
| BNB | 609.60 | -1.12% | -26.81% | 616.50 | 619.30 | 609.23 | 1,266,706,432 |
| ADA | 0.18 | -1.98% | -78.22% | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.18 | 238,085,632 |
| DOGE | 0.07 | -1.56% | -70.00% | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 553,256,192 |
| AVAX | 6.38 | +1.04% | -74.11% | 6.32 | 6.42 | 6.21 | 248,470,560 |
| LINK | 8.77 | -0.06% | -62.73% | 8.77 | 8.87 | 8.68 | 317,054,880 |
| DOT | 0.78 | -0.75% | -81.11% | 0.79 | 0.80 | 0.78 | 43,490,492 |
| LTC | 45.08 | -0.85% | -65.45% | 45.47 | 45.59 | 44.98 | 143,727,712 |
| BCH | 213.85 | +0.10% | -65.44% | 213.64 | 215.69 | 212.54 | 137,956,688 |
| TRX | 0.34 | +0.28% | -4.73% | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.33 | 436,576,064 |
| XLM | 0.16 | -1.33% | -64.46% | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 89,559,864 |
| HBAR | 0.07 | -0.53% | -74.67% | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 22,546,186 |
| NEAR | 1.65 | +2.42% | -40.55% | 1.62 | 1.68 | 1.61 | 187,591,264 |
| ATOM | 1.40 | -2.36% | -70.15% | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.40 | 18,626,964 |
| AAVE | 89.06 | +0.93% | -72.33% | 88.24 | 90.20 | 88.19 | 129,099,704 |
A rare stretch of stability ends
Eye Witness News reported Bhatti’s arrival under the headline that BTC had its fifth CEO in as many years. His predecessor, Andre Foster, announced his exit in mid-2022, the Tribune reported that August.
A Bahamian national, Bhatti came from Comcast in the United States, where he spent ten years. He earlier held senior roles at Juniper Networks and Verizon, and holds an MBA from Duke University.
His roughly four years in charge broke that pattern of short tenures. During that time BTC extended its fibre-based BTC Air service to Family Islands, including Bimini and Cat Island, according to company announcements.
BTC has long faced fierce competition in mobile from its rival Aliv, the Tribune reported in 2022. A long search could slow decisions on network spending, though the board says its search is already under way.
For wider context, see The Bahamas Explained: The Islands, the Economy, the Politics and What to Watch. Another leadership change this week came at the Bahamas Tourism Association, which named Sandy Sands interim president.
What Is Not Yet Known
BTC has not said when Bhatti’s last day will be or where he is going next. It has not named any candidates to replace him.
It is also unclear what role the government, as a shareholder, will play in choosing the next BTC CEO. The company has given no timetable for the appointment.
Sources: BTC statement as published by ZNS Bahamas, 2 October 2026; Eye Witness News, on Bhatti’s appointment, September 2022; The Tribune, 5 August 2022, and 7 July 2025.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error