Indian Ocean islands agree a scheme to connect themselves by fibre at a meeting of the members of the Indian Ocean Commission in
The project has its origins in a consultants’ study started in mid 2007 and completed at the end of last year. The study looked at the likely demand from the different island members and the technical and financial feasibility of the project. The Commission has six island members:
he fibre project has two clear purposes: firstly, to connect all of the unconnected islands and secondly, to provide a level of redundancy to potential users. On occasion, the SAFE cable has been broken during bad weather.
The timing of the build is particularly critical for the island members if they are to be able to join up with the EASSy and SEACOM cables that are being built down the eastern seaboard of the continent.
Demand for such a cable varies enormously between the different islands. Although both
However, the biggest potential long-term demand is probably likely to come from
But even on the basis of increased demand, the project would make little or no financial sense for a private operator. Therefore the project’s initiators are looking towards donor funding as their main source of financing.
The intention is to create under the IOC umbrella a cable system that would be made available on non-discriminatory terms and with a low-cost, high-volume regime in place. The wider strategic aim of the project would be to drive development not only of the telecom sector in the islands but also the downstream user industries.
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