Telecommunications in Belize

Telecommunications in Belize include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

Radio and television

Radio stations: ~25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies (2007); state-run radio was privatized in 1998."Belize", World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 7 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Radios: 133,000 (1997). Television stations: 8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations (2007). Television sets: 41,000 (1997).

Telephones

Calling code: +501 International call prefix: 00Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010)), Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014. Main lines: 25,400 lines in use, 180th in the world (2012). Mobile cellular: 164,200 lines, 184th in the world (2012). Teledensity: fixed-line of slightly less than 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular approaching 70 per 100 persons (2011). Telephone system: Above-average system; domestic trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay (2011). Communications cable: Landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US (2011). Satellite earth stations: 8 (2 Intelsat, 6 unknown) (2011).

Internet

Top-level domain: .bz, administered by the Belize Network Information Center at the University of Belize. Internet users: 81,930 users, 171st in the world; 25.0% of the population, 138th in the world (2012).Calculated using penetration rate and population data from "Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012" , Population data, International Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013"Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000–2012", International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013 Fixed broadband: 10,077 subscriptions, 148th in the world; 3.1% of the population, 115th in the world (2012)."Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012" , Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013. Wireless broadband: 419 subscriptions, 147th in the world; 0.1% of the population, 146th in the world (2012)."Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012" , Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013. Internet hosts: 3,392 hosts, 152nd in the world (2012). IPv4: 61,952 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 189.0 addresses per 1000 people (2012).Select Formats , Country IP Blocks. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Site is said to be updated daily.Population, The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Data are mostly for 1 July 2012. Internet service providers: There are several ISPs in Belize: BTL, Speed Net, and others.

Internet censorship and surveillance

There are few government restrictions on access to the Internet and no credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without judicial oversight. Prior to 2012, the government-owned telecommunications company blocked Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services."Belize", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 20 March 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.National News: GOB lifts block on VOIP, The San Pedro Sun, May 4th, 2013

The law provides for freedom of speech and press and the government generally respects these rights in practice. The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and government authorities generally respect these prohibitions in practice. Law enforcement agencies may, with judicial oversight, intercept communications to obtain information in the interest of "national security, public order, public morals, and public safety." The law defines communication broadly to encompass the possible interception of communication by post, telephone, facsimile, e-mails, chat, and/or text messages whether encrypted or unencrypted or whether provided by public or private providers.

Telecommunications in Belize

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