Well our brave PM I spoke of recently has nationalized BTL and in his address in Belmopan on August 24 he mentioned the "V" word. Here is an excerpt from PM Barrows address:

"In addition, the Accommodation Agreement stipulated that the PUC could not regulate Telemedia’s rates, leaving the consumers at their mercy. But it still did not stop there. All other existing Telecoms licenses (excepting Speednet’s – about which more later) had to be revoked. Voice Over Internet Protocol, which we all know gives consumers the cheapest option, is outlawed. Telemedia is able to refuse interconnection to any and everyone, including internet service providers. And the PUC cannot, for any cause and no matter what the complaint, in any way touch or alter Telemedia’s license. Finally, the Accommodation Agreement binds each government department, agency, or associated body, to use only Telemedia’s services at onerous pre-arranged rates until 2015, and thereafter for successive 3 year renewal periods."

Our PM has made it clear that VOIP should not be denied to consumers and that must include businesses. We all must contact every government official, the BTB, BTIA, Chambers of Commerce, newspapers, TV stations.........eveyone and demand VOIP be restored.

It is no longer a matter of passing a law or SI, it's simply for the board of directors of the new BTL saying to stop blocking VOIP.

The economic boost this would give our businesses all over the country and expecially those in the tourism industry in incalculable. LET'S DO IT NOW !!!!

Alot of that talk is good political grandstanding. BTL will be run by GOB like any other biz, to make $. I assume the plan is to sell BTL to a company who can continue investments and upgrading. I'm not expecting VOIP to be legalized, either under GOB or the new owners. I would be okay with the PUC making that decision, looking at outside models, and deciding what to do. The PUC have a methodology they employ to determine rates for utilities

VOIP is a standard business tool the world over. Belize needs it to be competitive!

Has anyone checked , I heard it was restored/unblocked yesterday.
http://www.voip.com/
it says invalid phone number

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyLmZ9n6EdE
I like the last line, " Can you afford to be left behind ?"

VoIP is still blocked...

TEST YOUR VOIP

Yep it comes back 'Blocked'
OK Right Honorable Dean Barrow time to get the board in motion.

VOIP has been blocked on the Mexico side(by BTL). Its a shame, don't think they will lift the block,to much money to be made,sad (greed).

The PM is smarter than the regular bear. He must know that for every dollar he loses in long distance reveneus he will gain many more dollars in tax revenue from the tourism, real estate, lawyers, accountants, more retires from the US because they can stay in touch cheaply, etc., etc.,

I would think the BTB, BTIA, Chamber of Commerce, etc would be at his doorstep pointing these things out to him. Keep your fingers crossed AND plant a seed where ever you can.

I don’t understand how the PUC, whose function it is to regulate a private utility to be sure it is operating in the public’s best interest, can be prevented by law from doing that yet the GOB can pass a law allowing the government to take over a private utility.
It would seem to me the GOB could have passed legislation to allow the PUC to do it’s job without going to the extreme of taking over the company.
It will be necessary to have an effective PUC no matter who runs the utility to be sure it operates in the public’s best interest.
It just seems to me that these extreme measures were more a result of the anger towards Ashcroft as opposed to insuring the utility would operate in the public’s interest.
As deserving as that anger is, having a systems that works no matter who is involved seems to be a better solution than a government takeover.