Earlier this week - we had an interview with Dr. Dionne Maranda, a top BTL Executive who responded to the criticism that BTL's internet is too slow and too expensive - when compared to other countries in the Caribbean.
Well, the interview generated loss of buzz to our email - and cell phones. It seems that the trouble with Belize's internet is something everyone wants to give their two cents on.
And that's because in the information age - while less than a fifth of Belize's population have access to the internet -see its uses and want more out of it for less money.
Here's more of our discussion about that with Dr. Miranda:..
Jules Vasquez
"Internet is expensive because so many few people use it. That is basically the argument."
Dr. Dionne Miranda - Customer Services Manager, BTL
"It's so few people use it and also the fact that our telecom license for instance - we have to offer universal access even in remote areas and so many of our services subsidized certain services and I can tell you that that is one of the reasons why it's very difficult for us to unilaterally lower rates from time to time as well."
Jules Vasquez
"Has it occurred to you all that perhaps the fact that the internet being cheap or whether it is expensive and the existence of large corporations are inter-related that when you have inexpensive internet it drives economic and corporate growth and when you have expensive internet its retards that growth."
Dr. Dionne Miranda - Customer Services Manager, BTL
"Isn't that a bit myopic Jules in thinking that only internet would drive the growth of business or not. Isn't it the cost of doing business, a global recession, high cost of financing, a not prepared work force to deal with industrial needs within a particular environment, the lack of all the growth of fiscal incentive and all of that - I think you have to look at it as an entire package. What is the technological direction and focus for the growth of the country? I do believe that internet plays its role but I would think it would be a bit facetious to look at only one element of economy or business and blame its growth or lack of growth on that."
Feel free to send your comments on this to tvseven@btl.net.
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