VOIP now a reality for Belize
The legalization of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) has made the rounds from fiery debate topic to political promise at election time. VOIP allows internet users to access web-based phone services like SKYPE and Vonage to make international calls at little or no cost. It’s no wonder why telecommunications provider Belize Telemedia Limited has avoided VOIP free for all which would offer competitive rates for international calls. But VOIP will be here before the end of the week. That announcement was made by P.M. Barrow at his quarterly press conference today.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow
“At the end of this month, which I believe is tomorrow, B.T.L. will enable full and open access to VOIP based services and applications in Belize. This will mean the use of B.T.L.’s high speed internet service including DSL, wireless internet and mobile internet and will mean that there will be no restriction whatsoever on Voice Over Internet Protocol. B.T.L. says this will immediately allow over two hundred thousand Belizeans currently with B.T.L.’s residential internet and with internet on Digicell Mobile Services, to gain immediate access to the many other VOIP based applications and services that are not currently available. Of course this ability to now freely access VOIP will further harness the power of the internet and allow Belizeans to enhance many facets of their lives; particular in areas of long distance learning with video conferencing capabilities, computer to computer conversations with families and friends abroad and even internet based television. Now this of course will affect B.T.L.’s revenues from its voice traffic tremendously. We thinking that of seven million dollars are being lost in the first year. But government needed to keep its commitment and in any event, technology is moving so quickly that I think we would have been playing a losing game if we had continued trying to restrict VOIP.”
The Prime Minister projected a loss of revenue in the sum of seven million dollars to be experience by Telemedia because of opening access to VOIP.
It’s about time! Besides the strain it put on families trying to keep in touch with loved ones abroad, think of all the lost potential business productivity.
Glad this has happened. Now to work in increasing bandwidth available at a reasonable price. There’s no reason why we can’t provide real high-speed internet to the large majority of the population, especially in our urban areas. The internet is a powerful tool that will help young Belizeans develop marketable skills which can help bolster our economy; it shouldn’t be restricted just so one company can see higher profits.
Yeah, long overdue. BTL and by extension the Government of Belize will recoup that projected lost many times over by internet related businesses. Welcome to modern telecommunications Belize! Faawad!!!
Government mandated monopolies ALWAYS cheat the consumers — that’s exactly what they’re intended to do, to prevent competition, and keep prices artificially high. They also slow progress, because a monopoly has no incentive to use the latest and best technology.
Open competition should be the rule except only in cases that affect national security, such as if we had a weapons industry or ship-building industry here. Since we have NO national security industries in Belize, there should be NO government-supported monopolies.
Compete freely, and let the best business win.
I guess they can afford to throw the people the scraps that are left over from our own table. We own it!!! We were forced into owning BTL and now they want us to feel good because they are giving us what is due to us??? Please I guess they had to feed first… Our police minister knows what I am talking about. Tell the people J.S tell them about the 1.8 million you made last year off your phone cards and credits from BTL (the peoples company) that you were given virtual exclusivity to. These scum throw us the left over scraps and we look the other way and we fight over it just the same as when you throw a bone to dogs. We don’t worry about the chunk of meat that they devour we are only concern about the nasty bits that they don’t want to eat. We are garbage to them and they feed us garbage and we are happy for it. BTL is for the PEOPLE you blind sheep’s!!!
Eric for PM! Perfectly said!
TOO LATE I already switched Internet Provider and no longer use B.T.L.
WANT me BACK. Japan is offering 2 Gbps internet speed for USD$51. per month.
Yes 2 Gigabytes.
MATCH THAT or at least half of that speed for that price and you will get me back.
Plus imagine all the money that Belizeans can make with fast and cheap internet speeds.
open telecomunication next, free the people
Still need to experience the quality and reliability of VOIP calls over BTL’s network.
My guess is that BTL will squeeze or apply restricted quality of service for voip traffic to the point where nobody will use it.
How will the government and BTL for that matter prove to the people that this so call privilege is working and is performing to high standards.
Now we are talking…oops I’m mean Skyping. 😀
as alwaz notn positive..if only unu mi kno wat poor means..