Deep Blue to Extend Caribbean Network to Colombia and Panama

Deep Blue Cable, the developer, owner and operator of a state-of-the-art subsea fiber-optic system providing connectivity across the Caribbean islands and to the Americas, has announced plans to extend its pan-Caribbean subsea network to Colombia and Panama, as well as expand to additional landing points throughout the region.

The Phase 1 extension of the Deep Blue cable system to Colombia and Panama will necessitate an adjustment to the project timeline. Route survey activities for the pan-Caribbean undersea cable will commence in Q1 2018, with manufacturing and installation continuing through 2018 and into 2019. Meanwhile, in view of the recent extreme weather events in the region, Deep Blue Cable is continuing to consider the design of the system to mitigate any future environmental and connectivity concerns. The projected Ready for Service date of the Deep Blue subsea cable system is Q2 2020.

“With the planned extension of our subsea fiber-optic cable system to Colombia and Panama, Deep Blue underscores its commitment to the long-term solution of providing advanced subsea connectivity across the Caribbean islands and to the Americas,” commented Stephen Scott, CEO of Deep Blue Cable. “The Deep Blue subsea cable network will have a profound impact not only on the communications ecosystem of the Caribbean, but also on the economic growth potential of an underserved region. Now more than ever, the Caribbean needs resilient communications infrastructure.”

The Deep Blue subsea cable spans nearly 12,000 km with initial landing points in 14 markets throughout the region, including the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Turks & Caicos Islands, with dual diverse landings in the U.S., which will include the first landing of a cable on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The Deep Blue cable system will play a critical role in serving developing Caribbean countries that are now experiencing a surge in demand for advanced telecom services but currently rely on fiber-optic connectivity that is technologically and economically disadvantaged.

The Deep Blue subsea cable network, which has up to 8 fiber pairs with an initial capacity of 6 Tbps, and ultimate capacity of approximately 20 Tbps per fiber pair, will ensure availability, competitive pricing and capacity resilience throughout the Caribbean. The Deep Blue cable system will benefit the region’s businesses and consumers by offering significantly higher design capacity, lower unit costs, lower latency through direct connectivity, and the ability to leverage advancements in reliability such as improved route planning and installation techniques.