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As of July
1st, 2003, phone
customers trying to use non-BTL, long distance, pre-paid calling cards
from home service lines are receiving the message that this is no longer
an option through Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL). Customers are
now instructed to dial 871 to reach an outside operator. Upon reaching
the operator, they are told they may use a charge card or chargeable
phone card to make their call, or they can choose to make a collect
call.
Following several complaints made to the newspaper,
The San Pedro Sun investigated to find a
reason why the sudden change in service. Upon contacting the San Pedro
BTL office, it was learned that we needed to contact Public Relations in
Belize City. After talking to Public Relations, it was revealed that
pre-paid calling card access is not a "BTL service" but a convenience
provided for tourists and visitors to the country. When BTL operators
eventually became overburdened with requests for outside operators from
people using pre-paid calling cards from other providers, BTL assumed
that the increased usage stemmed from an abundance of local users
circumventing BTL long distance service. "This is obviously local
residents who are complaining, and the access was not meant for home use
anyway," stated the BTL representative.
According to the BTL Public Relations representative,
this access is strictly being prohibited from home users. Access is still
available at hotels and pay phones in tourist destinations. For example,
a hotel may call BTL's Sales Department and request the access on one of
their existing phone lines or install a special line for this specific
convenience. Other than hotels, pre-paid phone card users may dial 811 at
pay phones to access an operator or if a person chooses to charge their
call or call collect, they may dial 871.
So, for now, customers are advised to
either give up using pre-paid long distance calling cards, walk to your
nearest tourist destination hotel or pay phone, or bite the bullet and
use the BTL long distance option (10-10-199) - this is the consumer's
choice.
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