Telbo Bonaire starts FTTH roll-out, ready for 4G launch

Telbo, the operator on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, has started the roll-out of an island-wide FTTH network. The company expects to connect every household within 2.5-3 years, adviser Erik van de Oever told Telecompaper in an interview. The fibre network will replace its existing copper infrastructure. 

Telbo also plans to activate its LTE mobile network this month. The network roll-out is finished and friendly user tests in the final phase. The operator is only awaiting regulatory approval to start the 4G services. 

The FTTH network roll-out has started in the Amboina area of Kralendijk and the first connections should be activated in mid-May. The roll-out will continue this year in Amboina, Nikiboko Zuid (main road only), Hato, Kralendijk, Belnem and Sabadeco. Antriol, Kralendijk, Nikiboko, Tera Kora, Salina, Republiek and Santa Barbara will follow in 2016, and the rest of the country in 2017. 

Telbo will offer services itself over the network, but is rolling out fibre pairs so it will be possible in future for other services providers to use the network. All customers will be switched to fibre automatically. Along with the network upgrade, Telbo is renewing its billing system and network administration.