June 22, 2006
Public Utilities Commission
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Technical Notes
1. The Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) and the Speednet
Communications Limited (Speednet) are Individual Licensees and can provide
voice services using VoIP under their existing licenses.
2. The PUC considers the provision of voice services using VoIP a data service and
not real time voice service; thus Internet Service Providers can provide voice
services using VoIP.
3. Anyone who downloads any VoIP software on his computer for his personal use
and not on behalf of a third party and does not have an assigned unique telephone
number does not require a license.
4. Only licensed Internet Service Providers are authorized to offer voice services
using VoIP and if the ISP is using the services of a Foreign Internet Telephony
Service Provider, proof must be presented to the PUC of a legal agreement
between the stakeholders.
5. Where the Internet Telephony Services offered by the licensed Internet Service
Provider involve a unique assigned telephone number, the numbers must be preassigned
by the PUC in conformity with the Belize National Numbering Plan.
6. The importation of Analogue Telephone Adapters (ATA) requires type approval
by the PUC. Importers/Retailers must conform to the regulations set out in SI 152.
Only PUC Licensed Providers are authorized to process the activation of these
devices.
7. Anyone who downloads VoIP software on his computer to use with an Internet
Telephony Service Provider outside of Belize not licensed by the PUC with a
unique assigned telephone number is unauthorized.

staying in contact with family in another country can be difficult with expensive telephone charges from btl..the internet makes contact esp for emergencies crucial...

Try checking your VOIP speedwith the following program:
http://myvoipspeed.visualware.com/

BTL is allowing a good download speed and a very low upload speed. Web pages are OK to load but when you try to change pages it all slows down.
In the past, I have only bedd able to attach one picture to an email. It used to take less than one minute to upload. Now it takes between two to three minutes.

Bottom line, they have managed to block VOIP at the expense of screwing up all their other services. No body wins except Michael Ashcroft, the rich Brit, who now owns controlling interest in BTL. The money all goes off shore.

PUC meets with BTL manana to discuss Skype and compliance with PUC decision. Call BTL chairperson Dean Boyce (cel 610 1000) and complain.

Fire away!

Dean Boyce

C/o Carlisle Holdings

60 Market Square

PO Box 1764, Belize City

Tel: 610-1000

Fax: 223-4935

E-mail: dboyce@btl.net

Info from:

http://www.belizebritishchamber.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=50

http://www.lordashcroft.com/

http://www.bbholdingslimited.com/

http://www.belizebank.com/index.html

http://finance.google.com/finance?q=OTC%3ABBHLF

Lots more news today... including an ISP alliance plotting their own VoIP strategy under the new PUC guidelines.

http://bfic.wordpress.com

My personal favorite quote from BTL:

Keith Swift (Channel 7),
Is BTL blocking services like Skype?

Dean Boyce (Executive Chairman of BTL),
“We are providing an internet service and if our system will not allow access to some certain foreign service providers, then that is not really my concern.”

What a joke that Dean Boyce (BTL Chairman) is.. "It was only about four – five years ago where there was only the basic analog system, there was twenty five thousand customers. Now there is a hundred and twenty thousand cellular customers."

and in the same breath he claims that "We make all out profit from international and we lose money on domestic." What a big fat liar he is.

BTL made $.61 per share in 2004, $.05 per share in 2005. Looks like they are doing down the tubes until you add back the $28,000,000 they "lost" through their financial dealings (see their yearly report), then they would have made $1.05 per share. Nice increase, year to year.

Has anyone raised the question: Why can't we at least let the incoming calls work. That is NO $$ out of BTL pocket. And with incoming calls the hotel/dive, etc. business get bookings - and as we know that in turn brings money into the country. WHY BLOCK THE INCOMING CALLS!!