BTL Pitches SMART Takeover to Business Leaders

Days after protesters gathered outside Belize Telemedia Limited’s headquarters in  Belize City to oppose its proposed acquisition of Speednet (Smart), the company sat down with business leaders in a closed‑door consultation to defend the deal.

Executives from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Belize Business Bureau (BBB) were told the merger would combine “duplicated assets” and create what BTL calls a stronger national network.

BTL says the deal would include more reliable service and expanded coverage. Voices in opposition, however, argue that the buyout could shrink competition and hand BTL a monopoly over the telecom industry.

In its press release, BTL listed safeguards it says will protect consumers. On that list, customers would keep their current plans, with price caps on selected mobile and data services for three years. Seniors and prepaid users would get added support, service rules would be made clearer, outage reports would be published regularly, and a two‑year rollout would expand coverage into rural areas.

BTL CEO Ivan Tesucum said the goal is to “increase digital inclusion” and that the deal would “strengthen infrastructure” while “safeguard[ing] national interest.”