Chile's Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications and Latin American development bank CAF have agreed to provide USD 3 million for feasibility studies on a new submarine cable project connecting South America and Asia. The project will go to tender in the coming week.
The analysis will provide the technical, legal, financial and economic basis necessary for the construction of a submarine cable between the continents, the ministry announced. The initial proposal is for a 24,000-km cable with at least two pairs of optical fibre and the latest transmission capacity (10-20 Tbps). The system is expected to pass Easter Island, to help improve the island's connectivity and development, while Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador have also expressed support for the project.
The results of the study should be ready by H2 2019, so the government can choose a consortium to build the network in 2020.
