B.T.L. launches new digital service
Ever since the Government of Belize signed an exclusive fifteen year contract with an untested but well connected competitor, relations between Belize Telecommunications Limited and the boys in Belmopan have not exactly been amorous. But today, whatever differences may exist between G.O.B. and B.T.L. were set aside as the monopoly telecom provider made a long awaited leap into new technology. This afternoon I got the chance to listen in.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Today with much hullabaloo, B.T.L. officially launched its new service to Belizean consumers…Digicell. And before anyone was quite ready…(phone rings)
That’s right, when British Telecom connected with Belize Telecommunications Limited, on one end was Chairman of the Board, Lord Michael Ashcroft, on the other, Prime Minister of Belize Said Musa.
Prime Minister Said Musa (On the phone)
“Well good afternoon Sir Michael, how are you?”
Michael Ashcroft, Chairman, B.T.L.
“Hello Prime Minister; very well indeed. I would certainly like to tell you from the start that if there is any difficulty on this telephone call, it’s all the fault of British Telecom, not the new Digicell Belize telecommunications system.”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“And if all goes well, who should I give the credit to?”
Michael Ashcroft
“The credit must of course be to Digicell on the reverse base.”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“We are certainly looking forward to the cheaper prices, if I can speak for the Belizean people. But I know that your company has been working hard to get ready for the competition and you’ve always said that you welcome competition, so congratulations.”
Michael Ashcroft
“Very much so, and as we’ve had conversations before, and as the government has said to us, on a basis of the even playing field, which we all want to be, and I think that we are in a good position to meet competition, think it’s healthy and look forward to the challenges ahead of us.”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“Great.”
And according to Chief Executive Officer of B.T.L., Ediberto Tesucum, prices will be cheaper than expected.
Janelle Chanona
“You guys have decided that from a standard telephone to a Digicell phone, it’s going to be something like seventy cents, which is going to be like a thirty percent increase from calling right now on an analogue phone. Why raise it that much?”
Ediberto Tesucum, C.E.O., B.T.L.
“Basically, what we have there is the rates that were applicable before the December first, 2001 to comply with the legal obligations that were placed upon us.”
Janelle Chanona
“So the advertised rates are wrong?”
Ediberto Tesucum
“Well if you look at the first sheet of paper, they were correct. We adjusted inline with the judgement itself, we’re now in a position where we can go back to the first rates we had advertised. I think it’s going to be, not seventy, but fifty-five cents from the PSNT, or the regular telephone, to the Digicell number itself.”
The new system will offer features such as short messaging, mobile internet access and even international roaming. But in the context of “We’re sorry, all circuits are busy”…Belize’s forty thousand cell phone customers will take some convincing.
Ediberto Tesucum
“Our design for this system is such that we can handle what we have plus more, because it’s a big system that can grow as we want it to grow. For example, right now we have accommodated for twenty-five thousand customers, but already we are making plans to add on another twenty-five thousand customers. So growing it is no problem, the system allows for it. So when we plan for these things, we make sure that it can take us into the future as well.”
The ceremony comes just weeks before a new telecommunications company, Intelco, prepares to break into the market…the question is, can both companies survive with relatively limited clientele?
Prime Minister Said Musa
“Whether there is a market for many more I’m not sure, but I do believe there is a market for at least two. And we do need the competition. Competition is what drives down prices, and I think it will be healthy for the industry.”
Janelle Chanona
“Some people have a lot of questions as to why there wasn’t a bidding process in place for a new telecommunications company. Why did government choose to go about it the way they did?”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“Well it’s simply a case of we had been searching for the company to carry out our programme, which was to computerise the schools. B.T.L. did not take up the offer, so we looked around and this company came forward and offered to do it, a company headed by Mr. Godfrey. In other countries where there is a huge market, you not only go to bidding, you have auction in fact. That’s not the case in Belize, this is a small country, the market is relatively small, as I said, I think it’s big enough for two, but I don’t think you would get that great interest if you had gone to a bidding process quite frankly. It requires tremendous confidence in the country to go after a company that has been in business for so many years in a limited market situation. So we really had to try and carve out and create this competition in a sense.”
Janelle Chanona
“Mr. Ashcroft mentioned in his conversation with you about a level playing field? Does the government feel that we’ve now achieved that?”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“Yes, I’m sure there will be a level playing field once the competition comes into being in January of next year. Both of them paying the same level of taxes, both of them getting the same concessions as B.T.L. has been getting the other will get. In other words, that there is nothing that one will get that the other has not received.”
Janelle Chanona
“How are things between the Lord and Government?”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“it’s a business relationship in the sense that the company operates strictly on a business footing with the government of Belize. I can’t say it’s strained and I can’t say it’s a lovey dovey relationship, it’s a professional relationship.”
Intelco is expected to begin its formal competition with a fully wireless network early next year. According to B.T.L., the new investment in Digicell service cost approximately fifty million Belize dollars.
