And, keeping it on matters related to BTL - there was a major announcement in the house on Friday, when the Minister of Public Utilities announced that the government was putting a pause on the Speednet acquisition - which is a matter between two private companies.
It's just one more mixed message of many that we've been hearing since talk of the acquisition started to be ventilated publicly one month ago.
Jules Vasquez looked at a few of these puzzling public pronouncements:
In late 2023, the BTL Chairman - riding the high of a 34% increase in profits - beamed about the company's financial outturn:
Nov 24, 2023
Markhelm Lizarraga, Chairman, Digi
"I think BTL continues to perform better than expected, I mean we have been meeting our targets, the board has challenged management on a five year plan and management has been meeting those projected numbers thankfully."
But just over two years later, he said the company is flatlining:
January 9, 2026
Markhelm Lizarraqa, BTL Chairman
"And we see revenues really flatlining. The population in Belize is not exploding."
And whereas in 2023 he embraced competition as a boon to consumers:
Nov 24,2023
Markhelm Lizarraqa, BTL Chairman
"What it has done, it has forced us to be competitive, which is healthy and we have focused on putting bundles together that is attractive to people, revenues have increased."
4 weeks ago, he said it had hurt the industry and was a detriment to consumers:
January 9, 2026
Markhelm Lizarraqa, BTL Chairman
"What has happened is that the industry has over capitalized and has become inefficient as a result of that really, because it's wasted resources - and who pays for all this over capitalization and this duplication of resources? It's the consumer."
And while the chairman sent mixed messages so did the political bosses in the house on Friday:
Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities
"Given the level of public interest and importance of the telecommunications sector to our economy, it is important that this process proceeds carefully, transparently and in accordance with the law. The prime minister has instructed that there be a pause in discussions related to this matter."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"And so the minister felt that it is only right to put everything on halt."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"And I don't know all the details, I think Minister Chebat would be the best person that could answer you."
So, who's making the call, the Minister of Public Utilities or the Prime Minister? Well, we know for sure it's not the PUC - they are spoken for:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What has been happening is that they put the cart ahead of the horse. The PUC needs to get involved."
"But basically it's for the PUC to put everything on a stop. We legally should step in, we should have been the first one, we should have come in and been able to take a look at what it is that you're proposing so that by itself, we're going to do that."
So, the Prime Minister: his family the seller, his board the buyer and now also the voice of the regulator…
