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#3615 10/02/00 09:47 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 18
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My fellow Belizeans,

As we sit, watch and wait this morning for news of our loved ones back home, we take for granted the systems that are allowing us to communicate. We are getting updates via e-mail and a multitude of websites showing us everything from weather satellites to post-hurricane assistance organizations already on the move! It is indeed sad then that this is the very system that BTL denies the average Belizean for the sake of greedy, massive, unconscionable profits.
How many of us are checking every email - every known gathering website in the hope of hearing that our families are alive and safe? How many of us went to bed last night comforted because we heard from someone with e-mail telling us that our parents, or our children, or our villages, or our homes were safe and well? It is time that all Belizeans see this value and have the opportunity to be able to "connect"! It must be an affordable resource to all, not just the few who must make sacrifices each month to the "God of all known Communications" just to have it! It is time to say "Enough is Enough"! No more holding our country back in the ICE AGE! No more ridiculous profits off the backs of businesses and households who are desperate to be exposed to the information and the opportunities of the World Wide Web! If BTL does not want to do this NOW, then the way must be made NOW so that those who can, WILL! This hurricane proves that! Imagine if just 2X more the number of people were on line in Belize at this time? Imagine if each town and village had at least e-mail access? Imagine if Belize had a choice? WOW!! What greater things could be happening right now due to the communication and information flow! Hmmm.....Just imagine!!! Am I blaming BTL for this hurricane? No, of course not. But they need to look seriously now at this storm and it's results and say 'How could we have made communication, (which is our Monopoly), easier and more affordable for the people that really needed it at this time?" Do we think that BTL will assist Marty and other website owners in paying their upcoming bill this month? Will they reimburse or waive Internet and e-mail bills for those in Belize who sent out so much information? How about cellular customers who were indispensable at that time? I definitely think not! As a matter of fact, they will be saying that they lost millions.
So, what will it take? How much longer will Belize stay behind technologically due to the shackles of BTL? Will we be able to communicate? Will we be able to compete?

I bet as a result, to get back their losses, BTL will want to block all access to Dialpad and the Box from people so they cannot call their relatives in the states.....Oh, I'm sorry, they already did that! A friend in one of our forums said it well, that the winner (if there is one) in all this is BTL! "There is no doubt that BTL made its fortune over the past few days. There
has been more than a deluge of high cost long distance in both directions
continually.
The Net is so bogged down that it is almost impossible to transmit or
receive -- a 4 k message taking as much as ten minutes to down load."

Who is makin' money$$$$ Damn Right - BTL!!


Niall L. Gillett


[This message has been edited by TRILONET (edited 10-02-2000).]

[This message has been edited by TRILONET (edited 10-02-2000).]

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 92
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Well said..and major dittos

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Anonymous
Anonymous
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Musa should not wash his hands from this situation by simple saying " the courts will resolve this". It could be a good jesture to
go to BTL ask request re-opening access to Dialpad during this time of need.
O.Babb

Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 18
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When the dust er.. Wind settles, we the people need to stand up and demand that BTL get with the program, even if it means taking legal action!

Joined: Aug 2000
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I don't know a great deal about business or revolts but it seems to me that the way to get BTL's attention is to cancel your contract with them. As has been proven here in the states, you have to hit them in their pocketbooks to get any sort of positive attention. While it might be a major pain and inconvenience for a while, cutting off their revenues for serveral months would definitely start some sort of ball rolling. Just a thought from someone living in the States. I don't presume to tell you how to run your country.

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Anonymous
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The problem is that BTL does not care about the individual customer. They make most of their money from the businesses in the country...Unless there is a full boycott of BTL's services (certainly not right now, with Belize trying to recover from the hurricane) they will always be aloof!

Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 4,262
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I understand that 2002 is the year of BTL renewal of their contract. The structure of the contract allows "da monopoly" of communications. I hope that the powers that be have at heart da welfare of their neighbors and not "other" considerations. One must remember that the US, not too many years ago, allowed a monopoly to ATT. It is understandable that Belize is lagging behind the technology curve. I wish them courage and insight.


Gone fishing!!
Joined: Oct 2000
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As one who pays over Bz$200 a month for Internet access, I certainly agree with the sentiments expressed here. I will respectfully disagree with two details, however. First, I do not support DialPad and the Box, if only because those are high bandwidth consumers and we simply do not have enough bandwidth to go around ... streaming audio is great, IF there is bandwidth to support it. Presumably BTL could supply more bandwidth if ... er ... they were so inclined.

Second, I doubt that a boycott would be effective. I never heard of anyone in the US boycotting their local phone service successfully. I would not join such a boycott because it would mean having to do without Internet service for a long time, with not the slightest confidence that enough others would join in, and without any guarantee that BTL would change, even if there were 100% participation. I doubt they would even notice it ;-)

Joined: Sep 2000
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Sure thing Corozal.com, but if BTL would just concentrate on providing the gateway, with their fiber infrastructure, they could easily accomodate extra bandwidth for private ISP's.
Plus it would have to be a full boycott of all services, except for emergencies.
But you know how it all goes. So we just keep on paying, right?

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Anonymous
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This is from Channel 5!
It's about time someone decided to fight back...I bet BTL was surprised!!

It has nothing to do with hurricane Keith but before this weekend it
caused
a storm of controversy among users of the Internet. Today, by order of
the
Supreme Court, BTL has been prohibited from blocking access to I.P.
Star
phone devices as well as any other voice over Internet protocols. The
order
came as the result of a court injunction sought by Business Machines
and
Solutions Limited, one of the companies that imports and sells the I.P.
Star device. The I.P. Star and similar services allow consumers to
bypass
BTL telephones and make low cost international calls over the Internet.
Business Machines was represented by attorney Denys Barrow. BTL will
get to
fight the injunction in a hearing to be held in the near future.

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