Since March of 2006, BTL has been selectively deciding what internet content Belizeans can access. This site has chronicled their blatant deceit and suppression of independent choice. The colonial lords and ladies, after being outcast from Britain to Belize, have decided to make our country their own personal experiment in economic shame. BTL is no exception. It is locked in the stranglehold of the “Ashcroft Curse”. Prices go up, Mikey gets richer, and Belize falls even further behind in many of the key social, educational and infrastructure measures as compared to the rest of the world.
Internet (IP) voice and video are now global standards in communication for many industries. Many people have simply circumvented BTL’s blocks, and some have gone so far as canceling BTL in favor of an alternate ISP. It has been some time since this site was updated. We believe it is time for a reminder on how exactly to circumvent BTL and get what the constitution affords you despite the criminal actions of Lord Ashcrook:
- If you simply want to dump BTL, your options are SMART/SpeedNet or satellite. The satellite options are still DirecWay, Starband and now iDirect. We may cover these options as they pertain to VoIP usage in further posts. The goal for this post is to update residents of Belize on bypassing BTL’s VoIP blocks on their high-speed DSL internet services.
- If you use Skype or any other PC-based telephony service, the answer is a software VPN (virtual private network). Most people have used HotspotVPN and Witopia SecureMyWiFi. For technical technical reasons beyond the scope of this post, it is always better to opt for a “UDP-based” VPN. AnchoFree is another variety of VPN that is FREE, but quality has varied greatly with AF expecially on 128kbps connections (BTL’s $100bz/mo ADSL service).
- If you use Vonage or Packet8 or any other SIP adapter-based product, there are two options. The first is to turn your PC, running the PC-based VPN software, into a “router/encrypt-er” for your Vonage box. Many of the country’s IT professional have been quietly implementing this service for their customers. Ask around and you will likely find a technician willing to help you set this up.
- The second option for Vonage users to purchase a dedicated VPN router, a hardware based solution. This alleviates the need for a PC to run the VPN and generally results in a much more stable and clear connection for the voice/video call. This option requires a service provider in the US or any country outside Belize to provide a VPN server to which your hardware can connect.
- The last option is to find a service provider either PC-based or adapater-based that uses the IAX protocol. IAX is a protocol developed along with the open source PBX named Asterisk and is currently NOT blocked in Belize. IAX is a less common IP voice protocol to its big brother SIP, but it works just the same. Future posts will include direct links to IAX service providers and IAX hardware.
The goal of this site is to protect the rights of the residents of Belize. We’re not interested in bowing to BTL’s intimidation. Some comments on this site in the past have suggested that these solutions should be kept quiet. We respect that opinion, but we must also respectfully disagree. BTL is acting criminally. BTL is a piece of a massive criminal scheme to make a few rich British Lords a bit richer. In their circles, Belizeans are a big JOKE. Why should we curb our mutual disrespect and disdain for their behaviour?
June 3, 2007 at 5:50 am |
It’s WiTopia’s personalVPN service, not SecureMyWiFi that works. http://witopia.net/personalmore.html
June 7, 2007 at 5:27 pm |
Thank you Bill. We have also updated the Block Bypass section of the site with the correct information.
July 7, 2007 at 2:37 pm |
I am disgusted by the actions of Belize Telecom for one simple reason. They are telling Belizeans what they can and can’t do on an internet connection that Belizeans have already paid for. It is like them taking a toll for a toll road and then refusing to let someone drive on it because the person didn’t rent a car through them as well. I mean come on, this is criminal and down right scary that Belize Telecom is monitoring and then choosing what it will let users do with the internet. If there is anything I and people in general can do beyond posting frustrated internet messages, please let me know. Petitions, letter writing, email campaign ……please let me know!
August 22, 2007 at 11:01 pm |
Does anyone know if BTL has blocked Public VPN now? I had used it for about a year with great success, but I just bought a month of service for the first time since the end of June and I can’t connect. I get an error message that says “the server does not respond”.
It wouldn’t surprise me if BTL was blocking Public VPN because it does allow a work around to BTL’s illegal block of VoIP, but by there are many good non-VoIP reasons to use a VPN. One of them being to protect your data from the prying eyes of bastards like BTL who sniff packets.
August 28, 2007 at 6:32 pm |
Im sick of BTL and their controlling ways too… Belize needs another ISP to offer free, unrestricted DSL services to Belizeans. I just got back from 2 weeks holidays to Canada and had almost forgotten what freedom online was like. It Was Incredible… Here through BTL i pay almost $200/Month for a crappy 256k DSL which maxes out at 30-32KB/s and while up in a little town called Thunder Bay Ontario, my aunt who lives in the country pays $34/M and has a 500KB/s connection at entry level with no blocking of content/softwares. I love to online game and BTL DOESN’T EVEN ALLOW games to connect to servers to be then played over the internet. Im speaking about Counter Srike Source for any who are aware amongst others….WE all do need to get together and stop this crap from happening! I would be very interested in voting/campaigning ect ect to help us all gain some of our freedoms back.
August 28, 2007 at 6:45 pm |
It is hard to understand why we pay so much for internet service from BTL and really get so little. Why do the powers that be not understand that if you restrict the technology that Belizeans can use, you are effectively holding back the country from development???
The internet and its related technologies are the driving force of international commerce today….I can understand why BTL wants to hold us down, $$$$$ We need a government that does not cater to these special interests…Make VOIP a political topic for the next elections……UDP/PUP/VIP etc……where do you stand on unrestricted internet access for Belize??????
May 7, 2008 at 9:40 pm |
Well Btl is the loser
they closed off there internet to data only
they lose why a phone company should give us what we want
now we are going outside
btl grow up or you’ll just go to jail like you should.
castro does not live in belize
ps i think belize will stand up to btl
why we already setup a phone companyu behind there backs
they are to slow and they steal just look at there history
ps the queen would like to know why is btl holding back the country
were a small country and btl are crooks ps and we let them everytime we make a call
or log on to the internet
ps i lost my company becase of btl
why my studio was online to many blocks and bad speed
i pay for 300k i get 28k ffffffffff uuuuuuuuuuyyyyyyyyy btl go to
sssssssssshhhhhhhhellllllllllllll
May 7, 2008 at 9:41 pm |
Most likely causes:
The website is under maintenance
i get this to much
May 7, 2008 at 9:44 pm |
dont get me wrong the workers of btl are good folks
it the owner and his pals should be put in jail for money loss
there only trying to break down the country in other words hold it back
not me i move forward unlike btl.