An international software company asserts BTC could lose millions in tourism dollars if it fails to prepare its soon-to-be updated system for next generation compatibility.

As Marty Gilbert of Vanu Software Radio Base Station sees it, the utility could at some point in the future find itself back where it is now — grappling to update its cellular network.

It is in fact struggling to switch Bahamians over to the GSM network from what was only a few years ago the network of the future, TDMA. The former is very popular among European and U.S. markets, but that is now changing. The end result, in only a few years time, may be the same kind of concerns now raised by tourists frustrated by the inability to use their cell phones while in The Bahamas.

"Down the road we may see a migration to the UMTS network from GSM and you'll have a lot of tourists coming from Asia and Europe who can't use their phones here," he said. "The Vanu solution builds one hardware platform that allows the company to download software for future networks."

While BTC's VP of wireless communications Marlon Johnson admits the benefit of using this kind of system, he said the company had its reasons for being cautious, and It is.

"Companies have made and loss a fortune trying to predict what's going to be the next hot thing," he said earlier this week.