GoB and VoIP

[peterbj7]

Recently stated by the Chairman of the PUC:-

"The PUC has never banned the use of VOIP. You have 2 voice operators in Belize and both of them currently use VOIP. The thing is our laws are clear; you cannot provide a telecommunication service in Belize unless you have a license to do so, and so I think this concept whenever we speak of VOIP we think about SKYPE or we think about Vonage and these other companies. They are not license in Belize, they don't pay any taxes in Belize and so they are not authorize do provide services in Belize. So I just wanted to clear that up. The current operators, there is no ban on the use of VOIP on them, they can use VOIP to make themselves more efficient or their services less costly that is up to them but the PUC cannot stand by nor any of the operators should stand by and allow unlicensed operators to provide services in Belize using their infrastructure and taking away their revenues."

What a load of rubbish!  Since when were Microsoft, Yahoo or Google "authorised" to provide services in Belize?  When were their licences issued, and how much have they paid in Belizean taxes?  Yet if these were to be suppressed the use of computers in Belize would effectively stop.

And "they can use VOIP to make themselves more efficient or their services less costly that is up to them".  Just what is the role of the PUC if not to regulate such matters?  Why doesn't he just admit that BTL and its current owners the GoB recognise a cash cow when they see one and they're not about to do anything to upset that?

And the thing is our laws are NOT clear.  They are vaguely worded (deliberately so) so they can be interpreted in any way that seems appropriate to the moment.  Insofar as the law on providing a telecommunications service is clear, he has mis-represented it.  Neither Skype nor Vonage provides such a service in this country.  When people access those services they are accessing services provided in other countries, just as they do when they go to almost any web page.  Is the Bank of America prohibited from permitting access to account details by customers in Belize, because they aren't licenced so to do?

This man is either a fool or a rogue, and I'm not sure which.

[deadserious]

The thing that bothers me is that they are so short sighted.  If they were to open up a neutral network, or even just lower communication costs with the United States, the amount revenue they could bring in via Telecommuters and new outsourced business opportunities would vastly outweigh any revenue lost in the few expensive phone calls made by tourists in the high season.

Everyone else that makes phone calls have already figured out how to get around their efforts anyway.