PUC Declares BTL Dominant Across Telecom Markets

The Public Utilities Commission has issued its final determination on market dominance in Belize’s telecommunications sector, concluding that Belize Telemedia Limited holds dominance across nearly all major retail and wholesale markets, from mobile and broadband services to international connectivity. The decision follows a month‑long public consultation in which stakeholders largely agreed with the Commission’s preliminary findings, reinforcing concerns over concentrated market power and the need for stronger oversight. With the determination now finalized, the PUC says it will move forward with regulatory measures aimed at improving transparency and ensuring non‑discriminatory access to essential services. The PUC says this will lead to strengthening consumer protection, while promoting fair competition and the continued development of the national telecommunications infrastructure. The Belize Cable Television Operators Association submitted close to thirty pages during the consultation process, highlighting its position, concerns and recommendations. Today, we spoke with the chairman of the association, Evan Tench.

 

Evan Tench, Cable Industry Stakeholder

“The association had some concerns for many years, because many of the members are providing internet services to subscribers. So, they are all internet providers and they compete with BTL. Primarily for the association and you might know that BTL has the sole access to the landing site from the ARCOS-1 cable that comes to Belize. So, all operators have to buy bandwidth from BTL. BTL then becomes the wholesaler to us, but they are also the retailer, competing against cable operators in the country. Our submission to the PUC was to support their findings that BTL has market dominance. In that specific area where BTL has control over the bandwidth coming to Belize, while the operators have joined along with BTL to purchase bulk bandwidth, which the more you purchase the cheaper the price, then all of us get a better rate. But, BTL controls the landing site. So, they put a mark up on the bulk bandwidth coming to the operators. And this creates an unleveled playing field when we go to retail. We are already paying more wholesale than they are and they are competing in the same retail market.”

Cable providers are requesting direct access to that infrastructure at cost or just above cost, free of BTL’s involvement.

 

Cable Operators Challenge BTL’s Bundle Advantage

 

Cable operators say the fight isn’t just about broadband. They argue BTL’s real edge comes from bundled services: mobile, broadband, and fixed lines wrapped into deals smaller providers can’t match. They call those bundles unfair and anti‑competitive, claiming they threaten the survival of independent operators. Now the association wants lawmakers to step in and give cable companies access to the fixed‑line market so they can offer their own bundles and level the playing field.

 

Evan Tench, Chairman, Cable Industry Stakeholder

“People get their services, although it is over a cable, it is fiber, so for both the cable operators and DIGI we are delivering content. Now it is delivered over IP content, which DIGI is doing as well with DIGI TV. And because, DIGI can bundle, the four services, the quad play, the fixed home services, the fixed home internet service of business, they have the mobile internet services and content, it is a disadvantage to the cable operators that can only do content and fixed home internet. So, what we are looking at or asking for the PUC to allow an operator to compete in all those fields. So, there are different options where we can buy bulk minutes, like an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) from BTL, bulk minutes, and then we retail along with bandwidth and content to our subscribers. We can also do fixed home service, since we have a connection, a line into everyone’s home. We can offer them a home telephone service. This would mean that we would have to get numbering from the PUC and then we would need interconnection so that they can connect to BTL phone network, phone number network. So, we are hoping that the new legislation will look at all that to allow a fair playing field with competition. Because, there is some cross subsidizing, maybe they would offer home internet, cellular internet and just throw in content, while the retailer has to buy a lot of these contents and retail it along with internet. So they can only bundle internet and content at this time.”

 

Cable providers say real competition can only happen if the law gives them fair access to the same services and infrastructure that keep BTL firmly in the driver’s seat.

 

Speednet Challenges BTL’s Long‑Held Advantages

 

And, as the Public Utilities Commission gathered feedback on its market dominance assessment, Speednet submitted one of the most detailed and experience‑based responses in the consultation. Drawing on its two decades operating alongside a historically dominant BTL, the company outlines how structural advantages, rooted in monopoly‑era infrastructure and long‑standing state ownership, continue to shape competition across mobile, broadband, wholesale access, and interconnection markets. Speednet’s filing focuses less on rhetoric and more on practical remedies, advocating for regulated access to passive infrastructure, cost‑oriented interconnection rates, and equal treatment at critical facilities such as the ARCOS cable landing.  But is the conversation surrounding BTL’s market dominance now fueling questions about the potential benefits for Belize that could have been derived if the BTL/Speednet acquisition was completed? As you heard, the Belize Cable Television Operators Association are now calling for direct access to bandwidth infrastructure and increased competition in bundling services.  This will in effect enable BTL’s competitors to increase their market share. So, what does that mean for value of GOB and Social Security Board’s investment over time? Will it increase future risks as BTL’s market share decreases? We will continue to follow.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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