C&W on track with fibre optic cables

CABLE AND Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ) expects to complete the installation of fibre optic cables in the Old Harbour Bay area in the next three weeks, as part of its south coast fibre cable system.

On completion, Old Harbour (St. Catherine) will be linked to Black River (St. Elizabeth) as the company pushes to create what is called a self-healing ring around the island. "This means traffic will not be disrupted if there is a break in the system. It will simply re-route the traffic in the other direction," said Hugh Cross, C&WJ's senior vice-president for engineering.

But, Mr Cross who accompanied journalists on a site visit to Old Harbour Bay on Tuesday said how soon the Black River to Negril to Montego Bay leg of the fibre optic system was completed was dependent on the granting of a permit by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA).

The environmental watchdog agency has reportedly expressed concerns about possible damage to sensitive coral reefs in the Negril area and had ordered an environmental impact assessment study (EIA) to be done.

In expressing concern at the delay on the part of the NRCA in granting the permit, Norman King, C&WJ's project manager in the engineering division, said protracted delays could significantly increase the cost of the project for which the company has already committed J$860 million. But he is optimistic the permit will be granted soon.

"We need to satisfy the environmental requirements in terms of balancing the interests of the local NGOs, in terms of where we lay the cable ­ ensuring that we do not damage any sensitive ecological growth," he said. He noted that once approval was given, it should take another three weeks to for the project to be completed.

Meantime, Richard Tennant of British-based firm, Global Marine Systems Limited, the company contracted by Cable and Wireless to carry out the installation, said work in Old Harbour Bay started three weeks ago and was projected to last 30 to 35 days. He said it was now expected to last another three weeks because of delays due to concerns raised by local environmental agencies. He was speaking with journalists aboard the Maersk Forwarder, the ship being used to lay the cables.

According to C&WJ, the installation of a fibre optic cable system was an integral part of its development programme "which seeks to provide Jamaica with telecommunications facilities that are on par with the best anywhere in the world."

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