Connecting the Caribbean’s Unconnected with Subsea Cable Networks

Just as nations were beginning to invest significant capital in broadband infrastructure developments, COVID-19 crippled the Caribbean. The pandemic highlighted the need for critical infrastructure and connectivity around the globe, but especially for island nations. The effort to provide adequate broadband gained some traction in 2021 as some Caribbean nations restarted economic development plans that include telecommunications infrastructure rollouts from years before 2020. In these plans, fixed broadband leads growth, mostly supported by the expansion of fiber optic networks. Even so, for the Caribbean, unique challenges to accessing 21st-century networks on an equal, sustainable basis remain; it needs a regionwide network that creates the environment for cultural, educational and health-based initiatives without damaging the environment and exacerbating climate change. Submarine cables are one of the most environmentally friendly platforms to deliver sustainable growth and development across countries, regions and continents. Now is the time for the governments of the Caribbean to step forward and take on the challenge of replacing the region’s aging international infrastructure. If they do, they will no doubt receive the support they need to financially and technically achieve their goals.

[Andy Bax is the Chief Operating Officer of Seaborn Networks, which operates and maintains submarine and terrestrial cable infrastructure.]