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The government has partnered with submarine cable specialist Cambridge Management Consulting Ltd (CMC) to help oversee various infrastructure initiatives
Perhaps best known for their infamous offshore banking activities, the tiny Cayman Islands have long been a key player in the global financial world. Given this prominent position in the global economy, it may come as some surprise to learn that the Islands are only connected to the international community by two dated submarine cables, each over two decades old.
The older of the two systems – the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System – first came into service back in 1997. The larger Maya-1 cable, which runs from Florida, USA, to Tolu, Colombia, and connects to the Cayman Islands along the way, arrived three years later in 2000.
Since then, the Cayman Islands have been broadly reliant on these two cables for the majority of their international data traffic.
Now, however, conventional wisdom suggests that these cables are approaching the end of their lifespan and could soon warrant replacement. While submarine cable systems can typically operate for decades – assuming they are not inadvertently damaged by the anchors of passing ships or by natural disasters – they generally have a lifespan of around 25 years before they technology becomes obsolete.
As such, it should come as no surprise that the Cayman Islands is now looking to modernise its submarine cable infrastructure.
This process began in earnest last year, when the Cayman Islands’ Ministry of Infrastructure announced they had arranged for a feasibility study to be conducted, aiming to explore whether they should invest in a new submarine cable system.
Now, around 18 months later, the Cayman Islands’ government is seemingly moving forward with some form of cable modernisation process. While no new cable has been explicitly announced, the government has entered into a $1.69 million partnership with CMC, noting the company’s expertise in cable planning, system procurement, and implementation.
CMC will, in turn, be supported by partnerships with US-based submarine cable consultancy firm WFN Strategies and Cayman Island-based SBM International.
“Digital connectivity is crucial to the way our islands live, work and play in a modern world. These resources will help us ensure the Cayman Islands can be confident that our digital connections to the outside world will match the critical dependence we place on them,” said Johany “Jay” Ebanks, the Cayman Island’s Minister of Planning, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure. “I welcome these new capabilities to the Ministry’s team and look forward to working with them on these important initiatives.”
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