Mar 2006 Financial News

Barbados ready to take on the world

Mar 09, 2006

Needham's Point is now Barbados' point of entry to the international super highway, which is set to benefit the economy of Barbados in many ways, giving us here access to over 250 countries in the world.

That is according to Frank McConney, Chairman, Barbados Light and Power Company Limited, yesterday morning at the Antilles Crossing cable landing ceremony at the Hilton Hotel.

"This cable essentially is being installed because the Government of Barbados considers it critical for advancement of the whole economy, as the demand for international communications is increasing at a very rapid rate. Needham's Point is Barbados' point of entry to the international super highway, the Antilles Crossing that has the capacity to deliver communications traffic at very high speeds to and from the Eastern Caribbean and the rest of the world," he added.

According to him, this cable, which runs from St. Croix to Barbados, will make it possible for us to work with others almost anywhere in the world with virtually the same ease as if we are in the same room.

"The fibre reaches from this point to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and from our landing point in St. Croix the network further extends through to separate fibre optic routes to Miami and to New York City some 2700 km further away. It then extends to some 250 countries around the world through a series of network switches. This submarine cable deployment is part of larger plan to provide Barbados with the most advance telecom infrastructure possible while creating value added services for its customers," he explained.

The system which will be up and running by the middle of the year, will also provide much needed capacity and connectivity for international long distance, Internet, private line connections, direct and indirect employment in information intensive industries such as call centres, data processing centres and offshore e-commerce servers.

Likewise, he said, there will be opportunities for distance learning via high speed Internet and video streaming and television broadcasters will be able to use the capacity for the importation of high definition television signals from other countries and also export information and locally produced programme from Barbados to the rest of the world.

The Barbados Advocate
Thursday, 9th March, 2006.
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=24821