BTL Bets Big on Speednet While Cable Deals Crumble

Belize Telemedia Limited is pushing ahead with an eighty-million-dollar deal to acquire Speednet Communications, even as two other potential acquisitions fall apart under pressure. According to the Office of Lord Ashcroft, BTL will pay ten million in cash and finance the remaining seventy million through loan notes over four years. Speednet’s majority owner, the Waterloo Group Charitable Trust, insists transparency is key, stressing that Lord Ashcroft has no economic interest in the trust. BTL says the deal will boost cash flow, cut duplicate costs, and give them full control over inbound roaming rates, a change that could mean tens of millions for Belize. They argue the savings will fund new technologies and help them compete with global players like Starlink. Consumers? BTL promises no disruptions and maybe even lower prices, pending regulatory approval. But while this deal moves forward, two local companies, Centaur Communications and Central TV & Internet, have walked away. They say the decision wasn’t about money, but about political, media, and reputational pressures that made the deals untenable, despite being commercially sound. So, why does one major acquisition seem smooth while others collapse amid controversy? And what does this mean for competition, transparency, and the future of telecom in Belize? As BTL presses ahead, expect public scrutiny and regulatory oversight to intensify. Whether consolidation brings efficiency, or limits choice, is a debate that’s just getting started.