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Ever since the Government of Belize signed an exclusive fifteen year contract with an untested but well connected competitor, relations between Belize Telecommunications Limited and the boys in Belmopan have not exactly been amorous. But today, whatever differences may exist between G.O.B. and B.T.L. were set aside as the monopoly telecom provider made a long awaited leap into new technology. This afternoon I got the chance to listen in.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Today with much hullabaloo, B.T.L. officially launched its new service to Belizean consumers...Digicell. And before anyone was quite ready...(phone rings)
That's right, when British Telecom connected with Belize Telecommunications Limited, on one end was Chairman of the Board, Lord Michael Ashcroft, on the other, Prime Minister of Belize Said Musa.
Prime Minister Said Musa (On the phone)
"Well good afternoon Sir Michael, how are you?"
Michael Ashcroft, Chairman, B.T.L.
"Hello Prime Minister; very well indeed. I would certainly like to tell you from the start that if there is any difficulty on this telephone call, it's all the fault of British Telecom, not the new Digicell Belize telecommunications system."
Prime Minister Said Musa
"And if all goes well, who should I give the credit to?"
Michael Ashcroft
"The credit must of course be to Digicell on the reverse base."
Prime Minister Said Musa
"We are certainly looking forward to the cheaper prices, if I can speak for the Belizean people. But I know that your company has been working hard to get ready for the competition and you've always said that you welcome competition, so congratulations."
Michael Ashcroft
"Very much so, and as we've had conversations before, and as the government has said to us, on a basis of the even playing field, which we all want to be, and I think that we are in a good position to meet competition, think it's healthy and look forward to the challenges ahead of us."
Prime Minister Said Musa
"Great."
And according to Chief Executive Officer of B.T.L., Ediberto Tesucum, prices will be cheaper than expected.
Janelle Chanona
"You guys have decided that from a standard telephone to a Digicell phone, it's going to be something like seventy cents, which is going to be like a thirty percent increase from calling right now on an analogue phone. Why raise it that much?"
Ediberto Tesucum, C.E.O., B.T.L.
"Basically, what we have there is the rates that were applicable before the December first, 2001 to comply with the legal obligations that were placed upon us."
Janelle Chanona
"So the advertised rates are wrong?"
Ediberto Tesucum
"Well if you look at the first sheet of paper, they were correct. We adjusted inline with the judgement itself, we're now in a position where we can go back to the first rates we had advertised. I think it's going to be, not seventy, but fifty-five cents from the PSNT, or the regular telephone, to the Digicell number itself."
The new system will offer features such as short messaging, mobile internet access and even international roaming. But in the context of "We're sorry, all circuits are busy"...Belize's forty thousand cell phone customers will take some convincing.
Ediberto Tesucum
"Our design for this system is such that we can handle what we have plus more, because it's a big system that can grow as we want it to grow. For example, right now we have accommodated for twenty-five thousand customers, but already we are making plans to add on another twenty-five thousand customers. So growing it is no problem, the system allows for it. So when we plan for these things, we make sure that it can take us into the future as well."
The ceremony comes just weeks before a new telecommunications company, Intelco, prepares to break into the market...the question is, can both companies survive with relatively limited clientele?
Prime Minister Said Musa
"Whether there is a market for many m |
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SOURCE: http://www.channel5belize.com/news/ 12/12/2002 10:01:29 AM
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DISCLAIMER:
The text of this article was copied "as is" from the above referred source in order to guarantee our readers that it will be
always available for them to read; Comments, suggestions, commendations or claims regarding the above article's text should be addressed to http://www.channel5belize.com/news/ .
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