Govt to sign agreement over subsea cable next week

Better and faster internet is on the horizon for Antigua and Barbuda as the Telecommunications Department will be signing an agreement next week to secure the sub sea cable.

Technology Minister Melford Nicholas made the revelation during the Post Cabinet Press Briefing on Thursday morning.

He explained a team from his department will travel to Aruba to sign the agreement.

News he was happy to share.

“After many years, as one of my colleagues at APUA would say, of deliberations and negotiations we have finally come to that position where APUA can ink a deal with respect to its own subsea fibre facilities and I believe had it not been for Parliament on Monday, I would travel to Aruba on Sunday where the final agreement will be inked on Tuesday of next week.

“There will be two directors including the Deputy Chair who will be traveling with the APUA General Manager to ensure that happens,” Nicholas revealed.

With this latest development, Nicholas said other major developments within the Telecommunications sector can now go forward as well.

“APUA will have at its disposal a more cost-effective upstream provider that will allow it to expand its services and make it a bit more cost effective for the population,” he added.

Back in 2019, Prime Minister Gaston Browne during his New Years Day address shared that the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) would be allocating EC $80 million towards the purchase and installation of its own sub-sea cable.

In July of this year, it was confirmed that the capital was allocated to procure the sub sea cable.