Connectivity Providers Database

From: Winston Aspinall <aspi@btl.net> To: Maria Dolores Lizarzaburu <mlizarza@darkwing.uoregon.edu> Time: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 00:41:36 -0600 Subject: Re: The current state of the Internet in Belize >1) Could you please provide a brief technical description of the >Belize's external connectivity to the Internet - including upstream >provider(s), international bandwidth of the link(s), etc. ? At the moment Belize Telecommunications Ltd have two links that are going over the ARCOS fiber cable that lands in Florida. One link is a DS3 and the other is a 1MB. There upstream providers are New World Network and Cable and Wireless. >2)Please list all of the ISPs with external connectivity currently operating >in the country. Please also list the URLs for each of these ISP, and >the name and email address for the appropriate contact. >ISP in BZ Link Type Bandwidth Upstream ISP POP location ========= =========== =========== ================ ============ Intelco Satellite http://www.intelco.bz) Speednet Satellite/Fiber Belize Telecomm. Ltd Fiber 45MB New World Networks Belize City, San Pedro, Corozal, Orange Walk, Belmopan, Dangriga, Punta Gorda, Independence, San Ignacio There are a couple other Internet Providers such as two cable companies(Channel Broadcasting Cable and Baymen Cable) that are offering Internet service but are getting their bandwidth from Belize Telecommunications Ltd. >3)What do you see as the prospects for Internet growth in Belize; >what would help it, and what are currently the major obstacles? Since the exclusive license that BTL had ended in December 2002 there have been entrants into the market. The Public Utility Commision has been given the task to provide license to these new entrants and they have given licenses to Satellite dish providers and wireless providers. The satellite dish providers have been able to give Internet access in the remote areas but the wireless providers has not gotten into the fully swing of things as yet. One of the issues that came up was that the 2.4Ghz frequency was not for public use and was actually license to a provider for a while. That is being reviewed now by the PUC in order to help the market. The Belize Telecommunications Ltd. has launched its DSL service in August 2003 and with the service now in Belize City, Belmopan, San Pedro and Ladyville along with the Internet over Cable companies many of the customers are moving away from dialup and taking up these dedicated services. I believe the landscape of the country and the way how the 200,000 persons are spread out within the country are one of the obstacles that have affected Internet growth. Even though it has been over a year since the country was placed in competitive environments for Internet services the concentration of persons using Internet is still in the Urban areas. The southern part of the country still has the lowest density of Internet customers and it seems that it might take another 6 months before any type of broadband service is available to them. Winston Aspinall <aspi@btl.net>