B.T.L. says fiber optic cable system has backup system
In previous newscasts, we highlighted the problems Trinidad and Tobago has been having with sabotaged fiber optic cables. The cuts to the cable affected their airline computers, communication with the air traffic control tower, bank transactions and private phone lines. Could Belize’s fiber optic cables, B.T.L.’s main link to voice, data, television waves and other communication services, be similarly tampered with? Dionne Chamberlain, manager of B.T.L.’s public relations, says the cable is installed differently in Belize and the chance of our cables breaking down is slim. If something were to go wrong, there is a back up system and state-of-the-art equipment that immediately notifies headquarters.
Dionne Chamberlain, Manager, Public Relations, B.T.L.
“It appears that Trinidad and Tobago have their cables overhead. In Belize our major routes, which are Belize to Belmopan and Belize to Corozal, are laid four feet underground and they are clearly marked by sign posts and they are patrolled twice a week. So we actually go out and visit to see if construction is going on in the area whether by private persons or by utility companies. We advise them on how to protect so we can minimize risks and damage to the cables.
However, if those cables go down for whatever purpose, whether it be being severed or a connector is damage, we have an alternate route which is a radio link which we turnover immediately. Once we notice that there is a problem it goes over to the radio link and we can still transfer voice, just telephone can go through. Now television stations such as yourselves, until we are restored, then that goes back on but we are able to restore a lot quicker.”
To ensure there are no problems, B.T.L. is asking those members of the public who live along the highway to notify the company if they see any suspicious activity near the cable postings. The company installed the cable because it gives a clearer transmission and wider band width than the copper cable. The fiber optic link to Belmopan was completed at the end of 1997, while the Corozal link was installed in 1998.
