TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY IN BELIZE
The Government of Belize passed the
telecommunications sector; (e) ensure
Belize Telecommunications Act in 1987
and promote fair pricing and the use of
which
Belize
cost-based pricing methods by providers
Telecommunications Ltd (BTL). BTL was
in Belize; (f) ensure compliance with
granted a 15 years exclusive license to
accepted technical standards in the
operate in Belize. In tandem, an Office of
provision
Telecommunications was constituted to
telecommunication services; (g) promote
regulate BTL as well as to administer
stability
spectrum management.
sector; (h) protect the interests of
constituted
The
objects
of
the
Belize
Telecommunications Act (BTA) of 1987
were to:
and
of
development
the
of
telecommunications
telecommunications
users,
service
providers and consumers; (i) preserve
national security interests; (j) ensure the
efficient use of the radio frequency
“provide for the regulation and
spectrum; (k) ensure the safety of the
control
public
of
telecommunications
by
maintaining
emergency
for that purpose to (a) promote
irrespective of non-payment by the
reliable
consumer.”
affordable
telecommunication services of high
quality accessible to Belizeans in
both urban and rural areas in all
at
all
to
matters in the public interest, and
and
numbers
access
times
The powers of regulation are vested by BTA in
the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
foster
BTL was subsequently privatized and in
increased reliance on market forces
December 2002 was granted an ‘Individual
for
of
License’. In the same month, December 2002,
telecommunications services and to
a second ‘Individual License’ was issued to
ensure
where
International Telecommunications Limited –
required, is efficient and effective;
which, however, went out of operation within a
(c)
few years.
regions
of
the
that
promote
Belize;
(b)
provision
regulation,
the
telecommunication
provision
services
of
that
meet all the economic and social
requirements of users, including
disabled persons; (d) encourage
investment and innovation in the
Belize ICT National Strategy
License’
In August 2003, an ‘Individual
was
granted
to
Speednet
Communications Limited.
It is pertinent to note that in May 2007 the
goodwill, properties, assets, obligations and
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