Haiti is set to receive a major boost with the delivery of US $16 million worth of undersea cable (124.28 miles) which will link the nation to 21 other countries in the Pan Caribbean region, as well as with the United States and the main Internet backbone gateway in South Florida.
This is a Digicel project – it is being undertaken in conjunction with the fibre-optic cable network provider in the Pan Caribbean Columbus Networks, and Alcatel-Lucent. The deployment of the submarine cable aims to expand the range and quality of fixed and mobile broadband services and content delivered throughout the country.
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Two years ago, Haiti was struck by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which has damaged or destroyed much of country’s communications infrastructure. This has caused a lack of high-capacity broadband connectivity.
Digicel is funding the project and has drawn on Alcatel-Lucent and Columbus Networks’ technology and demonstrated expertise for the deployment of the high-capacity link. Marine services for the project will be provided by the co-contractor, IT International Telecom. Columbus Networks will own, operate and manage the Fibralink Extension after it is completed.
Digicel noted the undersea cable project is the latest in its ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. As the single largest private investor in Haiti, Digicel said it has invested more than US $600 million to date and employs over 900 people directly and more than 60,000 people indirectly.
Columbus Networks’ president Paul Scott pointed out that the expansion “will add to our network, enabling us to enhance broadband connectivity further and thus deliver reliable, cost effective bandwidth and cloud based services at cost-effective prices to a very large population base”.
Alcatel-Lucent originally deployed the FibraLink system owned by Columbus Networks which provides coastal and terrestrial connectivity from Kingston to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay in Jamaica with direct connectivity to the US by integrating it into other parts of the Columbus Networks infrastructure.
