CWC touts $4M Bahamas subsea cable upgrade

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) says it will spend $4 million to upgrade and expand its subsea fiber cable network in The Bahamas, paving the way for the launch of a range of new broadband-enabled services. CWC trades in the Bahamas as The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), which is jointly owned by CWC (51%) and the Government of the Bahamas (49%).

BTC operates the 3500-km Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network International (BDSNi), connecting more than 20 Bahamian islands between New Providence, the country’s most populated island, and Haiti. The network is a vital communications link for the country’s outer islands, known as the “Family Islands.” By upgrading and extending the network, BTC will increase the number of ways it can route telecom traffic, improving the fiber-optic network’s resilience in the event of damage to any part of the cable.

In addition, the upgrade will deliver faster, more cost-effective broadband to the islands it reaches. Over time, this will enable residents of the Family Islands to receive broadband-enabled services not available previously such as Internet shopping, online education, and telemedicine. CWC is currently introducing similar telecom-enabled public services to New Providence. The company has recently installed a telemedicine lab at a local hospital and is in the process of building a CCTV network.

Geoff Houston, chief executive of BTC commented, “Though it is unseen, our subsea cable network is a vital part of our ability to provide new products and services across the islands of The Bahamas which contribute to the social and economic development of our communities.”

The upgrade of BDSNi – due for completion by the end of 2014 – will be undertaken by Huawei Marine Optix, as previously announced (see “BTC picks Huawei Marine for Bahamas subsea network upgrade”).

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