Telecom firm completes Caribbean network ring

(CNS) Regional telecommunications company LIME said Friday that work was completed on the installation of the new East-West undersea cable system linking Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. The project cost US$35m and was described as an advancement for the Caribbean region by the firm. Completed in under six months and a week ahead of schedule, the system completes a Caribbean “network ring” that LIME said would further strengthen its position as the leading wholesale capacity provider, increasing its capability to serve customers in North and Latin America, as well as within the Caribbean.

The East-West cable links Jamaica in the west of the Caribbean to the British Virgin Islands (Tortola) in the East, completing the connection in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. It will triple available bandwidth and reduce interconnection costs in the Dominican Republic – a key market in the region.
The new cable is the third new submarine cable built by LIME in the region since 2008, adding to the CBUS cable between Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands and the Gemini-Bermuda cable between Bermuda and the east coast of the US.
The firm said that this undersea cable enables it to meet the rising demand for high-speed bandwidth from consumers and business customers in the region. LIME operates in 13 Caribbean countries, and is developing a range of new fixed broadband and mobile data services for customers, which will require high quality capacity support.
“LIME’s network is well positioned to benefit from growth in wholesale markets. The Caribbean is a major traffic corridor between South America and the major Internet, content and carrier hubs in the United States – acknowledged as one of the fastest growing inter-continental routes in the world today,” said David Shaw, Chief Executive Officer, LIME.
Hailing the project as a text book undertaking, Shaw added, “The East-West Cable is a valuable addition to our carrier network, increasing the capability and service LIME provides to our carrier customers throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.”
Martin Fijman, Managing Director – Carrier Services, said the investment attests to the growing demand for capacity in the region. “The cable will provide leading-edge broadband capacity and reliable network services to help fulfill that market demand. LIME will keep enhancing its wholesale proposition as we keep leading the provision of capacity, connectivity and carrier services within the region,” he added.