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VOIP Plans In The Making

But the way ahead for VOIP - voice over internet - is not as clear as the superbond.

Barrow explained that they are looking to start opening up bandwidth to voip users..

Prime Minister Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"The chairman of Telemedia has convened a working group, comprised of members of the board and members of staff, and they are very busy forming up the proposal which - as I understand - will see a limited implementation of VOIP in two phases, intiallly with respect to fixed lines and thereafter, of course, with respect to cell phones."

Jules Vasquez
"So, but - perhaps I don't know of where I speak, but the main way I thought people used VOIP was on Skype, which is computer based."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well, if you don't know enough about it technically, I will confess to an even greater ignorance. And so, if I mis-spoke in terms of what's technically possible just now, I apologize. All I can say then with certainty is that the chairman is determined that VOIP in a limited form - I do stress that - is going to be introduced sooner rather than later."

Jules Vasquez
"The former owners of Telemedia, or the most recent owners - Mr. Prosser and the Ashcroft Alliance - had both formed agreements disallowing the use of VOIP. They did that for a reason. The company becomes less profitable. This has to be a concern for you as well."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Indeed, and that's why I said that it would be limited form of VOIP, and that's why there is this study-group - as it were - to see what is possible - what is feasible. You don't want to go too far with VOIP, which will without a doubt; affect the profitability of the company, before you know what you are in for with compensation. We know what our side - what our experts have said, but until there is a court determination, or some other impartial determination, I hope and expect that Belizean will see with us when we say quite clearly that it cannot be a wholesale introduction of VOIP."

And, we have one more piece of news before we close tonight. The Social Security Board of Directors met this evening to decide on the way forward after reviewing the audit of alleged insider trading at SSB. The meeting started at around 4:00 and finished a short while ago.

Our team dutifully waited, and waited, but at the end of it, when Chairman Lois Young exited at 7:30 pm - she told the press that she couldn't give an interview because it's only fair that she speaks to the CEO before she makes any announcement. So, we'll try again tomorrow to see what the verdict is.

Channel 7

VoIP in limited format someday

Internet based phone services such as Net2phone, Viber, Skype, and Vonage have driven phone costs down internationally since they provide a certain quality without using regular providers. In Belize these services would only be a fraction of what is charged by SMART and Telemedia, and businesses will tell you that VOIP programs are the future of efficiency. But those programs have been blocked along with less used services such as Google chat within Google's Gmail service. In opposition, the U.D.P. had promised that it would introduce VOIP, but it is now an issue that the Barrow administration is finding hard to grapple with since it would mean the state controlled Telemedia would see a significant drop in profits from international calls. This morning the PM said that the government will allow a limited implementation of VOIP, but he couldn't say when.

Dean Barrow

"The chairman of Telemedia has convened a working group of members of the board and members of the staff. They are very busy forming up the proposal, which as I understand will see a limited implementation of VoIP in two phases-initially with respect to fixed lines and thereafter with respect to cell phones."

Jules Vasquez

"Perhaps I don't know enough of this, but the main way I thought people use VoIP was on Skype which is computer based."

Dean Barrow

"Well if you don't know enough about it technically, I will confess to even greater ignorance. And so if I misspoke in regards to what's technically possible just now, I apologize. All I can say with certainty is that the chairman is determined is determine that VoIP-in a limited form; I do stress that-is going to be introduced sooner rather than later. I don't know of the exact timeline, but I'm sure that he will be very willing to talk about that. That's why I said it would be a limited form of VoIP and that's why there is this study group as it were to see what is possible; what is feasible. I made the point that we haven't yet finalized the compensation issue and to some extent, you don't want to go too far with VoIP which will without a doubt affect the profitability of the company before you know what you are in for with compensation. We know what our experts have said, but until there is a court determination or some other impartial determination, I hope and expect that Belizeans will see with us when we say quite clearly it can't be wholesale introduction of VoIP."

Channel 5

First campaign promise broken

I think what the government is proposing is VoIP used to deliver traditional (and possibly celluar) telephone communication -- not a Skype or similar service, as most are interpreting it to be. This was what I worked on in the US before retiring in August. In a nutshell, the internet is used to transmit voice over traditional phone lines instead of the traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). This involves translating voice signals into IP (Internet Protocol) "packets", then shipping them out over the internet using VoIP line devices or VoIP trunks rather than traditional lines and trunks. The internet packets are then decoded at the far end and become voice coming through the destination phone.

This type of VoIP service using traditional end-user devices (i.e. phones) can be purchased from networking vendors from existing telephone companies and the end user charged for phone service just as is done today in the PSTN world -- only the "behind the scenes" technical operation is changed.

Skype uses VoIP packets to transmit voice (and video) as well but is a computer-based service that is not controlled or charged by the phone company, and I have a strong feeling that that is *not* the type of VoIP that is going to be "allowed" in Belize.

Instead, you might get a new VoIP (normally SIP) phone on your desk in a business setting, or a new VoIP "adapter" in your home to plug your traditional phone into to perform the voice to IP packet conversion. There are also larger VoIP "gateways" that many traditional "dumb phones" can be wired to, and the end user might not even know that his traditional PSTN service has been changed to VoIP. My mother has this kind of service in the US and doesn't even know it as her phone is still the same.

In a nutshell, I'm guessing that the block on Skype is not going away...

get a VPN. No problem.

VPNs are no problem until they are scouted out by BTL. Then they won't work anymore.

I have been using Skype for 7 years here, no problem, my access has not been interupted. Its a very simple fix.

Cooper, I need to figure out how you have been doing that We have not had success with any VOIP provider for longer than two or three weeks.

suggest you not discuss how you get VOIP on this forum. I think the point is that you are doing an end-run around BtL - publishing a how-to on the internet seems like a great way to get blocked again ......

Yes Diane, you are right. I have given up.