Galapagos Cable Systems (GCS) and subsea fiber optic systems provider Xtera have announced that the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract has been signed for the turnkey build of the Galapagos Cable System between the west coast of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The 1,280 km system has been developed to date by GCS, a Singapore based digital infrastructure company working in cooperation with Ecuadorian telecoms operator CNT.
Xtera also reports that this contract triggers the project execution which starts with the permitting and design phase, and the marine survey which is already scheduled to follow in early 2022. The system will connect Continental Ecuador with Galapagos Islands, to enable the development of scientific research, commerce, tourism and education.
The new cable, which will go live in the second quarter of 2023, is expected to initially increase bandwidth to the Galapagos Islands by 10 times. The system is also designed to provide the Galapagos archipelago with national and international telecommunications services, both fixed and mobile, fiber optic broadband internet, and 4G mobile services with 5G in the future. With a design capacity of 20 Tbps, the submarine system is expected to ultimately increase the regional bandwidth more than 2,500 times.
Xtera will perform the design and construction works on a turnkey basis, using its SDM repeater, with cable supplied by Prysmian/NSW and marine installation activities performed by IT International Telecom. Xtera’s subsea implementation combines project management and system integration expertise with industry partnerships.
