INTERNET WARS IN WESTERN BELIZE

wireless antenna repeaters from block to block.
** House attic wireless internet repeaters.



INTERNET WARS IN BELIZE

Latest word in the newspapers since PM Barrow announced the takeover of Ashcroft controlling shares in the telecommunications company, is that the company ( BTL )financial coffers were cleaned out of $70 million in cash and there is no money left to do anything. Issued out as dividends before the takeover. The new Government appointed BOARD has appointed a technical team to figure out what can be done with the company. In the meantime ASHCROFT has gone to the UK Court with the Investors Protection Treaty Belize signed back from 1987 with the UK. Ashcroft wants $300 million USA as compensation, but the assets are probably only worth about $12 million and the customer base and good will is most of the value, as an asset of the company. Total value probably not even $20 million USA? Much will depend on the valuations given the company, by a tribunal, BTL which has obsolete equipment and is not competitive. All that BTL has right now worth any asset money is the customer base and the fiber optic NAP connection to the outside world down in Belize City.
In the meantime a BENQUE investor is bringing CLARO Guatemalan internet via small home based repeater attic stations using wireless, through Succotz, to several other places like Black Rock, Maya mountain and Cahel Pech in a computer network system. Rumor mill has it the PUC, or the government closed them down for some reason, others say no, they do have a temporary permit and have a signal in San Ignacio town for sale using Guatemalan CLARO.
Lizarraga of Red Creek Check Point address and owner of a number of CABLE TV stations from Belize City running all the way out West, through Ladyville, Boom, and now Belmopan is busy laying new TV cable of the correct impedance to carry internet traffic as well. He is expected to reach the TWIN TOWNS in about a year. CASH flow is his problem. He currently delivers CABLE TV all over the TWIN TOWNS areas better than BTL phone service, but locally the cable wires are not the right type to include internet.
Currently only in the downtown San Ignacio area and Santa Elena on the copper wires BTL supplies the fastest speed in Belize which is 2 megabytes. We probably need 2 gigabytes in Belize?
SMART, after a year of crying on the shoulders of the two customer service girls in their SMART office, FINALLY got me the SMART TECHNICIANS from the coast to pop by my vandalized DFC house on the ridge in HILLVIEW day before yesterday. We got a signal and I was able to use their laptop. So I'm pleased and now just waiting for the local Western SMART office to get some modems to sell with the 3 inch antenna, that plugs in the USB port. Will be able to get internet, albeit very slow 128 K, which is just one grade above the worst you can get for speed and bandwidth. I'd settle for the 2 megabytes of BTL if I could get it, but 2 gigabytes would be better for modern internet software operations. I've rearranged our trading system to use END OF DAY data, so hopefully by next month we shall be able to start pilot project trials out of North Carolina into the Chicago Pits by October 1st? At least thats the plan. ( grin! ) We await only the modem to arrive at the San Ignacio SMART office. Currently still working on trial and error experimentation with my trading. Looking good so far. One never knows until one moves into CASH operations and that is planned for January 1st, 2010. ( The best laid plans of mice and men oft times go astray! )
The only fly in the ointment with internet competition out here in Western Belize is that BARROW was quoted as making noises in the newspapers this weekend about protectionism for BTL now majority controlled by the government and hinting at a new MONOPOLY FOR THE COMPANY. Dread the thought!
In the meantime, presuming SMART actually get the modem out to San Ignacio, we shall be doing something anyway at the pace of a turtle with 128 K. That is so slow, I can't believe I'm saying this. Last time I had that speed was around 1991 in Miami by a phone line, when public internet was just starting in the USA. So Belize is currently still about 20 years behind the times. Can't complain so long as I get something.
In the meantime,looks like we will be going with SMART for now, as the only game in town.