26133: Sharp: (news) Bahama-Haiti Submarine 10Gb Fiber Optic Cable Network (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JONATHAN SHARP <flyingspinach@gmail.com>

(From the Bahama Journal)
New $6 Mil Fiber Optic Cable To Link Bahamas And Haiti

Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts recently announced
that a $6 million fiber optic submarine cable network will soon
connect Port au Prince, Haiti to Matthew Town, Inagua and the rest of
the world.

He said the Government of The Bahamas has approved the deployment of
what is known as Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network international
(BDSNi).

"I wish to express the appreciation of the Bahamian government to the
Government of the Republic de Haiti that it has agreed to the
selection of BTC, a company owned 100 percent by the Government of The
Bahamas, to work with Teleco de Haiti, a company owned 100 percent by
the Government of Haiti, to establish a 10 giga bit fiber optic
submarine cable network," Minister Roberts said.

"This project will bring mutual benefits to the citizens of The
Bahamas and the Republic de Haiti as both governments seek to provide
affordable, modern, reliable, cutting-edge technology to their
citizens."

In addition to the increase of offshore bandwidth to the Republic of
Haiti, this cable will have the capacity to provide 200 digital
television channels while improving the reliability, robustness and
scalability of Information and Communications Technology to Haiti, the
Minister added.

"I am looking forward to the very near future when BTC and Teleco de
Haiti would have finished the installation that my prime minister, the
Rt. Honourable Perry Christie, could make the first telephone call to
the Prime Minister of Haiti over this new network," he added.

The Minister also pointed to efforts that were being made to improve
telecommunications between the islands of The Bahamas.

On May 28, 2005, he announced that The Bahamas government had given
the green light to BTC to build a Submarine Fiber Optic cable
connecting Bimini to Grand Bahama at a cost of $6 million.

This, he said, was in keeping with the government's initiative to
allow BTC to provide GSM cellular services and broadband services to
Bimini and provide the residents and businesses in Bimini with
reliable, cost effective, modern telecommunications.

On August 2, 2005, Prime Minister Christie announced that the
government had approved BTC to build a fiber optic submarine cable
connecting 14 islands of The Bahamas in a self-healing ring topology
at a cost of $53 million.

"This project is of major national importance since it will facilitate
the government's pronouncements of anchor projects on each of these
islands. In addition, this project would provide the platform for the
provisioning of e-commerce, e-trade, e-education, e-medicine and other
ICT initiatives," Minister Roberts said recently.

"It is the intent of the government to reduce the digital divide in
this country and not permit information and communication technology
to marginalize the citizens of The Bahamas."

Minister Roberts also noted that as a CARICOM member, The Bahamas
supports linkages within the Caribbean and recognizes that these
linkages must be enhanced to the betterment of the countries in the
Caribbean.

"One of these improvements must be the provision of affordable
in-country telecommunications and off-shore broadband services," he
said.

"The Republic of Haiti, our sister country, has historical linkages to
The Bahmaas. As a member of CARICOM and with a large Haitian and
Haitian descendants population resident in The Bahamas with large
volumes of telecommunications traffic between our two countries, it is
only fitting that we seek mutually to enhance the telecommunication
systems between our country as well as reduce the cost to our
citizens."

http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=47&a=4939&sid=b23895644a30f0f6c8e6c174ca4a083c