News
TCI Gov’t Doubles Down on $7.5 Million Spend on Fibre Optic Cable needed for E-Government
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, November 30, 2022 – Static, crackling and the beeps of on screen messages that WhatsApp reconnecting were frequent interruptions on a recent Magnetic Media telephone interview with the TCI’s Deputy Premier, E. Jay Saunders. Saunders, also the Minister of Finance with responsibility for E-governance as he spoke to us from one of the family islands evidencing the need for e-infrastructure intervention; it also happened to be the very subject of our interview.
A new fibre optic cable is coming and it is the lynch pin in the development of a reliable, effective e-government system for the TCI.
Upwards of $7.5 million dollars is allocated to the investment on behalf of taxpayers; a pretty penny but it’s a desperately needed upgrade, said Saunders, who is confident the cable will revolutionize country-wide telecommunications.
“I’m personally excited by it because if we build it we will literally transform the TCI. It’s one of those things you will look back on and think this was a watershed moment, where the Turks and Caicos moved up a notch.”
He went on to detail the expected cost and the timing of the project.
“It’s going to be a multi-year project, it’s not going to be started and finished in one year so what we are budgeting in the next financial year is $7.5 million to start with– We want to get it done as quickly as possible.”
He stressed that if more cash was needed it would be provided.
“We think it will be less than two years but more than one year” Saunders said, emphasizing that the 18-month mark was likely. He explained that he fully expected the cable to not only improve the quality of life in the TCI, but to turn a profit as well.
“Not just a profit- I truly believe that we’ll make a return on the investment for the people of the Turks and Caicos. Government services will certainly improve, particularly as we transition to e-government—and the carriers obviously utilize it.”
Saunders, who is a former CEO of Digicel Turks and Caicos had previously explained the value of the cable to enhancing the network between Provo and Grand Turk in discussion with Robert Hall on RTC FM; he had appeared on a September 28th episode of Expressions radio talk show.
“All of the carriers send their signal from Providenciales to Middle Caicos and then to South Caicos and then the signal is sent to Grand Turk and so if something happens to that tower in Middle Caicos, which is the least populated island then South Caicos goes down and Grand Turk goes down. It’s a very fragile setup.”
That setup limits the amount of data customers can receive, even the amount of cable channels Saunders told us, “The limiting factor is the wireless connectivity- once we get that domestic fibre in we will be able to get the same service to the family islands that we have in Provo.”
Talk of the fibre optic cable came up again during the recent town hall meeting held in Provo on November 21. The Deputy Premier was addressing a question about e-Government.
The need for a revamp of the cable system was especially evident after the passage of Hurricane Fiona. Both Flow and FortisTCI suffered damage to its systems including downed poles which caused weeks of inconvenient service interruptions to residents.
In addition right now there is only one fibre optic cable coming into the islands; if that gets damaged the TCI is effectively disconnected from the Globe. The new cable is also expected to give the Turks and Caicos full redundancy, in terms of connection to the wider world.
The fibre optic cable is expected to begin implementation in January.