Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP)
SAINT LUCIA – October 17, 2018 – Deep Blue Cable, the developer, owner and operator of a state-of-the-art subsea fibre-optic system being constructed to provide connectivity across the Caribbean islands and to the Americas, has announced its role as submarine cable specialists in support of a multi-million dollar, 15-year ICT contract with the Governments of the Caribbean nations of Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
“Deep Blue Cable’s deeply experienced team and first-hand understanding of the need for advanced telecom services in this region are huge assets to this project,” commented Niall Savage, Program Director at Digicel. “We are excited to have them on board helping us deliver this world-class digital highway to the Governments of Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.”
CARCIP has the ultimate goal of encouraging key stakeholders, including citizens, government agencies, regulators and policy makers to embrace Information and Communications Technology (ICT), further improving and driving regional economic development with significantly reduced costs and bolstered productivity. Consisting of three main components, a Government Wide Area Network (GWAN),) a Schools Network and a submarine cable between Saint Vincent and Grenada with landings on five Grenadine islands, the project will see Deep Blue Cable working in support of the submarine cable element as Digicel’s subject matter experts. Deep Blue Cable has assisted Digicel in the procurement process through vendor selection and contract negotiations and will continue to be a key player in the management and delivery of this ground breaking fibre optic network infrastructure. As a result of the thorough procurement process, the Deep Blue Cable recommended contractor, I.T. International Telecom Marine SRL (IT) of Barbados was selected and contracted by Digicel to deliver the CARCIP submarine solution, which will use Nexans Norway as the project’s subplant supplier. As the CARCIP system is backed by World Bank funding, a further important element of IT’s scope will be the delivery of an ESIA (Environmental and Social Impact Assessment) for Digicel in support of the permit application process. Ready For Service (RFS) is scheduled for mid-to-late 2019.
“IT is very pleased to have been selected by Digicel and Deep Blue to undertake the construction of the subsea cable system for this project,” noted Paul Kravis, VP of International Telecom.
Paul Marshall, VP of Sales for IT Barbados further added, “Completing a system of this nature in the Caribbean is one of the primary reasons we do what we do. It is a pleasure for us to assist these countries and our clients, enabling their future communication systems and economic growth with a new state of the art subsea cable backbone and infrastructure.”
Digicel’s relationship with Deep Blue Cable is part of a long-term plan developed to meet the requirements for its significant international subsea capacity supply in the Caribbean. Denis O’Brien, founder and Chairman of Digicel, incorporated Deep Blue Cable to construct and operate a new subsea system to serve the region. Digicel is a substantial anchor client of Deep Blue Cable.
“We are proud to support Digicel in this ground breaking partnership between the Governments in this region,” said Steve Scott, CEO at Deep Blue Cable. “The unprecedented scope and scale of this project will ensure a transformative result for the people of these countries and establish the Caribbean as a leader in the global economy.”
For more information about Deep Blue Cable, visit www.deepbluecable.com or email deepblue@imillerpr.com.
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About Deep Blue Cable
Based in St. Lucia, Deep Blue Cable is the developer, owner and operator of a state-of-the art subsea fibre-optic system providing connectivity across the Caribbean islands and to the United States. Spanning approximately 12,000 km, the Deep Blue cable’s initial landing points will be in 14 markets throughout the region, including the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and the U.S. By ensuring competitive pricing and resilience through alternative supply, Deep Blue cable will provide connectivity to international and regional telecommunications operators, regional network providers, Over-the-Top (OTT) providers, data centres, government, and large enterprises, including financial services, and oil and gas companies. For more information, visit www.deepbluecable.com.
About IT International Telecom (IT)
IT is an ISO-certified submarine network installer offering desktop study, marine route survey, engineering design, installation and maintenance services for submarine cable systems worldwide. As an organization independent of any carrier or manufacturer, IT is in the unique position to collaborate with customers, providing them with cost-effective and ideal technical solutions for each project. Above all, IT delivers quality solutions based on proven engineering and installation techniques. IT was formed in 1995 and for over 20 years has been recognized as one of the worlds’ finest marine system providers. IT is proud to have many repeat clients that are all based on proven engineering techniques and quality of service. With projects successfully completed in over 65 countries and counting, IT is pleased to work towards providing clients with the best technical solutions at the most competitive prices in the industry. IT constantly strives to meet the ever- changing climate and challenges of subsea projects. For more information, visit http://www.ittelecom.com
About Nexans Norway
Nexans Norway AS is a leading supplier of power, telecommunications, installations and heating cables in Norway, and is among the world’s leading manufacturers of offshore control cables and high-voltage submarine cable solutions. The company’s head office is in Oslo, and it has manufacturing plants at Rognan, Langhus and Halden. The company has nearly 1,600 employees and is a part of the Nexans Group which has an industrial presence in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. Nexans employs more than 26,000 people and is listed on the Paris stock exchange. More information on www.nexans.com.
About Digicel
Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider with operations in 31 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. After 17 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US $5 billion worldwide.
Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Ilissa Miller
iMiller Public Relations for Deep Blue Cable
Tel: +1 866 307 2510