If the new developments at Intelco gave consumers at
least a glimmer of hope for lower telephone and
Internet rates, a decision taken by B.T.L. has dealt a
severe blow to the pocketbook of some enterprising
Belizeans and visitors from abroad. As of the first of
July, consumers can no longer access international
operators to use U.S. prepaid calling cards. Originally,
those cards, sold by AT&T, Sprint and M.C.I. in the
United States, were used primarily by North American
visitors who found that they could call home for as
little as thirty-five cents U.S. per minute instead of
the dollar seventy-five Belize charged by B.T.L., along
with the ample surcharge invariably added by their
hotel. It wasn't long before industrious Belizeans
learned the same trick and soon the calls, made with
Sam's Club discount cards via B.T.L.'s 115 operator,
were cutting significantly into the local phone
company's profit margin. Well, all that ended on
Tuesday when B.T.L. decided to discontinue access to
the international prepaid operators. Public Relations
Officer Suzette Tillett initially told News 5 that the
service had not been dropped, only changed to bypass
the overworked B.T.L. operators. It turned out,
however, that the new number given for the service,
871, does not work for prepaid cards, only for regular
credit cards or U.S. residential accounts--at rates no
cheaper than B.T.L.'s. Tillett later corrected the
misinformation, but added that the prepaid card
service does remain available from special blue
phones in major Belize City hotels or at the B.T.L.
office. Outside of that it's back to the drawing board
or 10-10-199.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
