Analyst Says BTL Deal Is About National Broadband Strategy

As debate continues over the proposed acquisitions by Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), a leading finance executive and academic is urging the public to view the transaction through a broader national development lens, describing it not as a cable deal, but as a strategic investment in Belize’s digital future.  In an analysis published this week, Dr. Andrew E. Trumbach, argues that the proposed acquisition of Speednet, Centaur Communications, and CTI/NexGen represents the potential creation of a national broadband infrastructure platform, critical to Belize’s long-term economic competitiveness.  Dr. Trumbach operates in Florida, USA, and is an expert in corporate finance, and a strategic advisory, particularly in the telecommunications, energy, and public infrastructure sectors.  According to him, while one acknowledges public concerns around competition, governance, and transparency, those issues, though valid, should not obscure the core strategic objective: securing control of last-mile broadband infrastructure, which he describes as the backbone of the modern digital economy.  According to Trumbach, global and regional trends show that broadband connectivity, not cable television, is now the primary driver of growth in telecommunications. He notes that major international companies such as Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, as well as Caribbean operators under Liberty Latin America, have all pursued similar consolidation strategies to achieve scale, reduce costs, and improve service quality.  He points out that Belize’s small market size makes it inefficient to sustain multiple overlapping broadband networks, warning that fragmentation often leads to higher consumer costs, duplicated investment, and slower upgrades. In that context, BTL’s ownership of the national backbone and international bandwidth makes last-mile integration a logical and economically sound step.  Dr. Trumbach further states that, based on publicly available information, the reported purchase price appears financially reasonable, aligning with standard telecom valuation methods. He also notes that Moore Belize LLP, affiliated with the global Moore network, was engaged for valuation services, and suggests that releasing a high-level summary of the valuation methodology would help strengthen public confidence.  Importantly, the analyst emphasizes that the real risks are not strategic but operational and regulatory, including integration, billing systems, and service continuity, areas that can be managed through proper execution and regulatory oversight.  He noted that, “t\is is not a cable deal. It is a national broadband strategy,” Trumbach writes, arguing that successful implementation could lead to better service quality, lower unit costs, increased investment, and stronger digital inclusion.