In a robust defense of his company’s expansion strategy, BTL Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga has characterized the telecommunications provider’s acquisition push as an economic imperative rather than merely competitive consolidation. The executive’s comments come amid mounting scrutiny regarding market transparency and competition concerns within the sector.
Lizarraga articulated that BTL’s substantial investment of approximately $100 million in fiber-to-the-home infrastructure has created a comprehensive network backbone reaching 85-90% of households nationwide. This existing infrastructure, he argued, positions the company to efficiently integrate smaller providers who primarily manage the ‘last mile’ connections to individual homes.
‘The fundamental economic rationale revolves around eliminating redundant infrastructure duplication,’ Lizarraga explained. ‘We’ve already deployed the primary pipeline infrastructure throughout communities. Many smaller operators utilize these pathways for their final connection services. Our acquisition strategy focuses on obtaining established customer bases and their accompanying cash flows rather than constructing competing infrastructure.’
The Chairman emphasized that this approach maximizes the utility of BTL’s existing capital investments while generating necessary revenue to maintain and expand essential service infrastructure. ‘We’re essentially purchasing customer relationships and sustainable revenue streams to optimize our current network capacity,’ Lizarraga stated. ‘This economic model ensures we can continue providing robust telecommunications services without wasteful infrastructure duplication.’