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Jan Wilson sent me an email with useful information about metered internet access in Belize (around 27 Mar 2002).

This page started out by copying the MeteredInternetAccessEuropeNetherlands page, then cutting and pasting stuff from Jan Wilson's email into and out of that page to try to keep the format and content similar. I have "INCLUD"ed the summary on the Metered Internet Access page.

Contents:

Summary

(March, 2002) I am assuming that the figures for Belize provide a reasonable indicator for much of Central (and South?) America as well (until someone provides information to the contrary).

A typical (?) "phone bill averages about $250 a month for judicious use, so I avoid chat, wiki, and web-based anything as much as possible."

Spending a dollar Belize hurts a good bit WORSE than someone in the US spending a US dollar.

See MeteredInternetAccessCentralAmericaBelize#Developing_the_Comparison

Developing the Comparison

Unit Costs:

  • Normal telephone line (or service): $25 month
  • ISDN line: unknown
  • Pnone call costs: Long distance rate to the US, $1.50 - $1.75 per minute. Long distance in Belize, 15 - 40 cents a minute. Local calls, 5 - 10 cents a minute. Fortunately, the phone call to tie into the Internet is "toll free." All access is 33.6 to about 45 kbps.
  • ISP US$24 / month, plus $6 per hour for the first 12 hours, $3 per hour thereafter.

Exchange rate:

  • Exchange rate: All these prices are in Bz$ (Belize dollars), which are theoretically worth US 50 cents (though it is almost impossible lately to get US dollars at this exchange rate).
  • Perspective: Spending a dollar Belize hurts a good bit WORSE than someone in the US spending a US dollar.

Developed Cost: A "phone bill averages about $250 a month for judicious use".

Original Email

All Internet access is through Belize Telecommunications Ltd., which has a monopoly in Belize. All these prices are in Bz$ (Belize dollars), which are theoretically worth US 50 cents (though it is almost impossible lately to get US dollars at this exchange rate).

Also, as with the Netherlands, the exchange rate only tells part of the story. Spending a dollar Belize hurts a good bit WORSE than someone in the US spending a US dollar. Anyway:

Regular phone: $20 per month, plus $5 to rent a phone. Long distance rate to the US, $1.50 - $1.75 per minute. Long distance in Belize, 15 - 40 cents a minute. Local calls, 5 - 10 cents a minute.

Internet access: $24 a month, plus $6 per hour for the first 12 hours, $3 per hour thereafter. Fortunately, the phone call to tie into the Internet is "toll free." All access is 33.6 to about 45 kbps.

Our phone bill averages about $250 a month for judicious use, so I avoid chat, wiki, and web-based anything as much as possible. Yes, it is irritating when someone quotes a long message and says, "I don't have an answer," or replies to someone's reply to a joke that wasn't REALLY very funny in the first place. And then when 6 people complain, and 12 flame their complaints, and ...

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Topic revision: r1 - 2002-03-28 - RandyKramer
 
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