PM Briceno Moves to Regulate Telecom, Broadband Price

PM Briceño is signaling changes ahead for Belize’s telecommunications industry. Today, he revealed that new legislation is now being drafted to regulate pricing for telecom and broadband services, a move sparked by concerns raised by the Public Utilities Commission amid the proposed BTL–Speednet acquisition. And according to the Prime Minister, these regulations are coming no matter how that deal turns out. He says the goal is to protect consumers from arbitrary price increases and ensure fairness across the industry. The Prime Minister also touched on questions surrounding Starlink and access to internet services in underserved areas. Here’s more from that exchange with reporters.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The SI, there was a Cabinet paper on Tuesday, while I cant go into great details, because it is going to be made public, what the PUC is saying is that BTL with them being about sixty percent of telecom and fifty percent of broadband, they are the dominant provider. So, irrespective of what happens, we have to have better regulations in the industry to ensure that consumers are not taken advantage of and they just don’t raise prices arbitrarily and that there has to be a process to do that. It is important for our citizens to understand that we need to protect their interest and how we do that is through the Public Utilities Commission. They do that for energy, for water and now they are going to do that for both broadband and telecommunications.”

 

Reporter

“Has Elon Musk’s company sought any change in license to be a bigger provider in Belize?”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I don’t know. You will have to check with the PUC. But what we have said in Cabinet if somebody applies for their services in Starlink that we should allow them to have it if it is not in an area that Belizean services provide.”

 

The Prime Minister says those pricing regulations are coming regardless of how the BTL–Speednet deal plays out, stressing that consumer protection comes first. He also added that Starlink services could be allowed in areas where local providers don’t yet reach, leaving those decisions in the hands of the Public Utilities Commission.