The Southern Caribbean Fiber is a game-changer for the region, providing a high-speed internet connection that's long overdue. This underwater cable spans over 1,400 kilometers, connecting several islands in the Southern Caribbean.
The fiber optic cable reduces latency and increases bandwidth, making it ideal for online activities like streaming and online gaming. This is especially important for the tourism industry, which relies heavily on internet connectivity to attract visitors.
The cable's design allows for easy maintenance and upgrades, ensuring that it remains a reliable and efficient connection for years to come. This is a welcome relief for businesses and residents who have struggled with slow internet speeds in the past.
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Southern Caribbean Fiber
The Southern Caribbean Fiber (SCF) is a submarine cable that connects 15 islands in the Eastern Caribbean with 16 landing points.
The SCF cable system is approximately 3000 km long and spans across several islands, including Trinidad, Grenada, St Vincent, Barbados, and Puerto Rico.
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The SCF cable system is owned and operated by Southern Caribbean Fiber (SCF), a subsidiary of Digicel Group.
The SCF cable system consists of two main branches: the omnibus branch, which connects Trinidad to St-Croix and Puerto Rico, and the express branch, which connects Barbados to St-Lucia and St-Croix.
The omnibus branch is a repeaterless system made up of submarine cable comprising 4 to 8 fiber pairs, supplied by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN).
The express branch is a repeated submarine cable made up of 2 fiber pairs covering approximately 900 km, supplied by Tyco (now SubCom).
Here are the key features of the SCF cable system:
- Omnibus branch: connects Trinidad to St-Croix and Puerto Rico, repeaterless system with 4-8 fiber pairs
- Express branch: connects Barbados to St-Lucia and St-Croix, repeated submarine cable with 2 fiber pairs
The SCF cable system participates in the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement (ACMA) for the maintenance of the wet plant of the SCF cable system.
In 2019, SCF signed a $5.9 million agreement with the government of Montserrat for the installation and operation of a new submarine fibre-optic cable system connecting Guadeloupe and Antigua.
Deep Blue Goes Live
Digicel's new subsea fibre cable Deep Blue One is now live, connecting French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Deep Blue One is a 2,000-km subsea cable with a minimum capacity of 12 Tbps per fibre pair.
The cable has five branching units, with two to eight fibre pairs per segment.
It was developed and built by Digicel in partnership with Orange, which owns a fibre pair on the system.
Orange is also providing landing facilities in French Guiana.
The system interconnects with Orange's Kanawa subsea cable that runs between French Guiana and Martinique.
It also connects with Digicel's existing Southern Caribbean Fiber (SCF) system, which has reportedly been rebranded as Deep Blue.
This new cable presents an opportunity for Digicel to connect offshore oil and gas rigs in the region.
The growing energy sector in the region is expected to benefit from this connectivity.
According to Digicel CEO Marcelo Cataldo, "Subsea fibre has long been the backbone of global connectivity, and Deep Blue One is set to serve as a catalyst for the next wave of economic development in the region."
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Digicel Expansion
Digicel Group has announced that its new subsea fibre cable Deep Blue One is now live, connecting four countries in the Caribbean and northeast South America.
The cable, which spans 2,000 km, was developed and built by Digicel in partnership with Orange, and offers a minimum capacity of 12 Tbps per pair.
This expansion presents Digicel with an opportunity to connect offshore oil and gas rigs, supporting the growing energy sector in the region.
Digicel Expands to Offshore Rigs
Digicel Group has announced that its new subsea fibre cable Deep Blue One is now live, which presents an opportunity to connect offshore oil and gas rigs along its path.
The Deep Blue One cable is a 2,000-km subsea cable connecting French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad & Tobago, with five branching units and a minimum capacity of 12 Tbps per fibre pair.
Digicel CEO Marcelo Cataldo sees this as a chance to support the growing energy sector in the region and foster collaboration among key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
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The cable was designed to interconnect with Orange’s Kanawa subsea cable and Digicel’s existing Southern Caribbean Fiber system, which connects Caribbean islands between Trinidad & Tobago and Puerto Rico.
This expansion will bring extra capacity to the four connected countries, and it's set to serve as a catalyst for the next wave of economic development in the region, as CEO Marcelo Cataldo stated.
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Benefits of Digicel Expansion
Digicel Expansion has brought numerous benefits to the region.
The expansion has increased mobile penetration, allowing more people to access essential services and stay connected with loved ones.
According to the data, the number of mobile subscriptions has grown significantly, reaching over 10 million users in the region.
This growth has had a positive impact on the economy, creating new job opportunities and stimulating economic growth.
The expansion has also improved digital literacy, enabling more people to use mobile technology to access information and services.
In fact, the number of internet users has increased by over 50% since the expansion began, with many people now using mobile devices to access online services.
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