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Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband
Management Report
Published: March 2010
Pages: 22
Tables: 14
From: GBP 253.00 Buy Now!
Research from: Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd.
Sector: Broadband & Fixed
While Belize’s GDP per capita is high for Central America, its telecoms services have attracted much dissatisfaction. The incumbent BTL has been at the centre of a string of ownership litigations; further disputes arose in 2008, after a change of government brought to light questionable agreements between the previous administration and BTL. Despite liberalisation, BTL dominates the market and blocks VoIP traffic. SpeedNet launched competing mobile services branded Smart in March 2005, but its owners are allegedly closely linked with BTL’s majority shareholders. A company called MirrorNet began to compete with BTL in early 2008, offering Internet and VoIP services. This report provides an overview of the country’s telecom sector accompanied by relevant statistics and analyses.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Belize is a small country with only 331,000 inhabitants, the only English-speaking nation in Central America. The country has closer affinities with the Caribbean region than with its neighbours.
While Belize’s GDP per capita is high for Central America, its telecoms services have attracted much dissatisfaction. Belize’s fixed-line teledensity is about average for the region, but mobile penetration is considerably lower than in neighbouring countries.
The Belizean telecom market was officially liberalised in January 2003, yet the incumbent, Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), still holds a virtual monopoly. BTL has been at the centre of a string of ownership litigations; further disputes arose in 2008, after a change of government brought to light questionable agreements between the previous administration and BTL.
SpeedNet launched competing mobile services branded Smart in March 2005, but its owners are allegedly closely linked with BTL’s majority shareholders.
A company called MirrorNet began to compete with BTL in early 2008, offering Internet and VoIP services.
Key Highlights
• Having rolled out its own VoIP service called WebTalk International, BTL continues to block any other PC-to-PC VoIP traffic on its network, including MSN, Vonage, Skype, GoogleTalk, Yahoo, Net2phone, and SpeakEasy. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 7.2.1.
• Besides its direct Internet customers, BTL provides wholesale Internet service to other ISPs. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 9.
• BTL’s mobile competitor SpeedNet has managed to increase its mobile market share from about 7% in 2007 to 12% in 2008. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 11.1.
Belize is a small country with only 331,000 inhabitants, the only English-speaking nation in Central America. The country has closer affinities with the Caribbean region than with its neighbours.
While Belize’s GDP per capita is high for Central America, its telecoms services have attracted much dissatisfaction. Belize’s fixed-line teledensity is about average for the region, but mobile penetration is considerably lower than in neighbouring countries.
The Belizean telecom market was officially liberalised in January 2003, yet the incumbent, Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), still holds a virtual monopoly. BTL has been at the centre of a string of ownership litigations; further disputes arose in 2008, after a change of government brought to light questionable agreements between the previous administration and BTL.
SpeedNet launched competing mobile services branded Smart in March 2005, but its owners are allegedly closely linked with BTL’s majority shareholders.
A company called MirrorNet began to compete with BTL in early 2008, offering Internet and VoIP services.
Key Highlights
• Having rolled out its own VoIP service called WebTalk International, BTL continues to block any other PC-to-PC VoIP traffic on its network, including MSN, Vonage, Skype, GoogleTalk, Yahoo, Net2phone, and SpeakEasy. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 7.2.1.
• Besides its direct Internet customers, BTL provides wholesale Internet service to other ISPs. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 9.
• BTL’s mobile competitor SpeedNet has managed to increase its mobile market share from about 7% in 2007 to 12% in 2008. For more information, see Belize - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband, chapter 11.1.