Gov’t awards Cable & Wireless contract to install fibre network
Amid cries for better internet connectivity across the territory, the government will be contracting Cable & Wireless (BVI) Limited to install an islandwide Fibre Network.
Fibre network technology uses high-speed fibre cables that are better able to deliver high-speed data across greater distances.
This results in a much faster, more reliable internet service when compared to the existing copper phone lines used for transferring data.
The government approved for the telecommunications company — which owns and operates Flow — to undergo the project for $411,445.49.
The decision was made during a March 3 Cabinet meeting this year.
Calls for better internet connection in the BVI are not new. However, complaints worsened after the 2017 hurricanes when residents began putting more pressure on the government to address the problem.
As the new trend of working and studying from home continues to grow, Premier Andrew Fahie last year said his government will not be compromising on reliable internet service for paying locals.
Recently, educators told our news centre that poor internet connection was one of the main issues hindering the remote learning model that is currently being used to educate children amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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So you are paying C%W to install fiberoptic cables for them to offer and make money on the installed fiber optic cables. Unless the internet costs are much lower because of the government investment, I don’t get it.
So you are paying C%W to install fiber optic cables from which they will earn a profit selling the internet service. Unless the cost of the internet is reduced because of the government investment, I don’t get it.
Is the government going to own the fiber network, or have they signed onto a deal to give this telco x amount of years of monopoly?
This will not the solve the high costs for internet, nor will it FULLY solve the quality of the service. FLOW and other ISPs continue to cut corner
I really hope this involves underground fiber because with CCT, Digicel and FLOW installing their current fiber over the poles, it creates a single point of failure (what if a car hits a pole?).
This fiber network is not for internet. They are using it for and intranet. This essentially means they are planning to interconnect their departments over a fiber network.
But if you’re right that it’s just ptp connections. Dumb, dumb dumb, dumb, dumb
Its not dumb. They are making their interconnections more resilant. Flow has underground fibers. P2P / wireless links can be affected by lots of outside factors. They already have this by the way. They are just adding this as redundancy which is how these things are done all over the world.
The story is confusing because it mentions internet and i think this has nothing to do with internet for the public.
It’s fine, but government should fix the internet problem. Which would solve the problem of being more resilient.
Why is the government paying for this. Flow makes huge money off internet and cell service and provides nothing. So the government pays so Flow can make and charge more. Can’t make this s**t up!!
Someone in gov has stakes in this for sure
We used to call ourselves Garbled and Useless or Able and Tireless. Old hands like me will remember!
I am confused, Flow was already in the process of doing this on their own.
So what are doing different now?
Doesn’t this place the other companies at a disadvantage? Or will they be able to utilized this network as well once completed?
Saying same thing IN MY MIND
Where was TRC in this agreement. The government making decisions without TRC. What about the other operators, especially the local one. Is this Govt owned or Flow owned? so many unanswered questions.
This government sidetracking many people. Carry on
This don’t make sense. Unfair!
Only in the BVI.
Did anyone notice that Flow closed their office in Virgin Gorda!? So this is just for Tortola?
It is OK if it is, but please stop selling this ‘good for the BVI crap if it just benefits one island.
We need fiber internet in north sound areas please
this has been long awaiting !!
BRING FIBER TO NORTH SOUND
This article assumes too much. This contract has nothing to do with Internet Service or The TRC.
So Government is paying Flow to run fiber optics cables to to improve flows internet capability to make more money for the company, or will this network be rented to flow when it is completed.
Can someone explain?
Wait $400,000 to put in fiber optics.. where …. that would pay for maybe one block of cable. Our neighborhood just got pricing to put electric underground for 10 poles and that estimate is as $100,000
The math dont work because the story is confusing. They are not doing anything to the public internet this is solely for government’s intranet. I really wish we would report facts and not add extra stuff to it that confuses the public.
The math dont work because the story is confusing. They are not doing anything to the public internet this is solely for government’s intranet. I really wish we would report facts and not add extra stuff to it that confuses the public.
We want CCT to “do better” but then we fund/support another company that’s not “our own” so they can…… do better.
What a way to show #BVILove!!
Gotta write this one down and tell our kids that supporting outside of our own is how we show #BVILove!! Our government did it and so should we!
The new slogan should read:
#BVILove: Show it to everyone BUT your own <3