Digicel said that it is investing in a new subsea cable system that will improve connectivity in the markets of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. Named Deep Blue One, this project will also provide the opportunity to connect offshore oil and gas rigs in the region. The 2,000 km subsea system will have five main branches.
Landing in Cayenne, the branch connecting French Guiana will be built in partnership with Orange, which will rely on its subsidiary Orange Marine to lay the cable and will then operate the landing station on behalf of Digicel. By investing in the subsea system, Orange will reduce French Guiana's dependency on the existing Kanawa cable, which was commissioned in early 2019.
Digicel noted that Deep Blue One will provide from two to eight fibre pairs in each branch, offering a minimum of 12 Tbps capacity per fibre pair. Commissioning is planned to begin in mid-2023, with the project scheduled for completion in early 2024.
As a co-investor, Orange will benefit from one fibre pair with a capacity of 12 Tbps, complementing the Kanawa cable and the operator’s other connectivity capabilities in the region (Americas-2, ECFS, CBUS).
