INTERNET AND ELECTRICITY TOP THE PRIORITY LISTS TODAY, NOV. 2011 FOR BELIZE

In my view, the two top priorities are ELECTRICTY and INTERNET service for Belize. BOTH ARE SUBSTANDARD NATIONWIDE.

Priorities for infra-structure shift and change. Right now at the beginning of November, 2011, I would list ELECTRICITY and INTERNET service as the two most important DEVELOPMENT priorities for our government and nation.

Internet is probably the most important from an economic development viewpoint. Internet should be 12 megabyts for $25 usa per month, like in Iceland. The percentage of homes with internet being 14% the Prime Minister announced recently, was an outstanding condemnation shortfall, for years of trying to get internet for development of Belize. 14% is ridiculous. So are the current pricing structure, bandwidth and speed.
There are always excuses and in this case, the excuse is we were captive as a nation to privatized utility monopolies by foreign private sector owners. Now the government owns majority ownership, the situation is changed. It is probable, though not necessarily going to happen, but is also possible with majority ownership by the government of both electricity and internet capability, that dividends from profits can in LARGE PART, be reinvested as rapidly as possible, to bringing up both electricity supply and national grid capability as soon as possible.

From an economic export development viewpoint, I can think of no two more important priorities. There are others of course, but these are Number 1 and 2. Strangely enough, while internet should be No. 1 priority, it is actually electricity that has taken that position.

The reason of course is; without RELIABLE ELECTRICITY, internet is not possible. The astounding recent news that everything to do with BEL national grid service SOUTH of the Hummingbird GAP of the Maya Mountains is substandard and in half the cases non-existance, leaves us bewildered with disbelief. Our media have not been keeping abreast with things, or are so accustomed to accepting substandard services as normal, they have failed to do their job as media reporting watchdogs. The recent reports from Placentia and Banana country, that they suffer from electricity brownouts, surging voltages, amperage spikes burning out appliances and tools for business, brings back memories of 20 years ago in Cayo. The amateur opinion is that BEL, now it is a government controlled utility, need to plow profits back into infra-structure at an accelerated pace. Our population growth is going to increase the pressure on requirements such as jobs and economic and GDP growth. Transformers and more breakers in the national grid system has been suggested. In the case of the Toledo district, all those 30 or so communities without electricity up, need to be brought up to modern standards, need to get it, as fast as possible. These utilities create development. Without it you stay stuck in a time warp. Within 6 years, even if BEL were to bring up to standard of modern needs immediately, the demands of the future, will make such work, insufficient again, and you will have to tackle the problems all over again. Watched it happen on Caye Caulker and San Pedro and it does not take an academic degree to figure out the practicalities from historical experience.
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CONTRIBUTION FROM INNOVATE BELIZE

Ray,
Just saw your post "INTERNET AND ELECTRICITY TOP THE PRIORITY LISTS TODAY" and that
the percentage of homes with internet access is only 14%.

I think that a VERY cheap way to solve this the problem is for the gov to use some of the
light poles as WiMAX stations this way 1 mile or so radius around that pole would be
wifi enabled and would prob cost about $1000 a pole a year. From a technical point i can't see why
Belize cannot become one of the few countries that is 100% wifi enabled.

If Belize city and Belmopan become wifi cities then it would be easy to provide voip cellphone service etc.....