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BTL reaches 1,000 payphones milestone
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Belize City, Belize - Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008: Belize Telemedia Limited takes great pleasure in announcing that on Wednesday, January 23rd the company will achieve a new milestone in its history with the installation of its 1,000th payphone in Belize.
Payphones were first introduced to Belize in the early 1970's. At that time they could only be used by customers to access operator services and to call local destinations using coins. Since that date the service has evolved, with customers now able to make local, national and direct dialed international calls, using prepaid cards, or calling collect through the operator, and can now benefit from much improved levels of quality, reliability and accessibility.
The introduction of cellular phones and other advanced services, which have more than doubled over the past five years, has caused payphone usage to decrease dramatically over that period. Despite that change and the increased availability of Belizeans to their own personal phones, the Company has during that same period more than doubled the number of payphones in service. The Company believes that making communication accessible to all Belizeans is a major part of its social responsibility, and this action reinforces our claim to be the leading corporate citizen in Belize.
In the coming months, the deployment of BTL's new rural wireless network will provide an additional platform to further expand BTL's personal communication services across Belize, providing voice and high speed internet services to the homes and businesses in those rural communities, whilst at the same time supporting new payphones installations in those areas.
In 1999, BTL introduced payphones into school compounds. BTL's "Learn 'n Phone" Program has since provided thousands of children throughout the country with safe and convenient communication while at school and away from their families.
In recognition of this, the 1,000th payphone will be installed at St. Joseph Primary School in Belize City. A special ceremony will be held on the school compound at 10 a.m. on Wednesday January 23rd 2008. The Minister of Home Affairs, Public Utilities and Housing, Hon. Ralph Fonseca, will deliver the keynote address and make the first official call.
BTL takes pride in this milestone achievement, and it demonstrates the Company's continuing social commitment to make basic life-line communication accessible to all Belizeans, countrywide. |
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