Nearshore Americas
Saint Lucia broadband network

Saint Lucia Rolling Out Island-wide Broadband Network

Saint Lucia has reached an agreement with the Government of Taiwan to roll out a high-speed fiber optic broadband network for every of the nation’s households.

The infrastructure, estimated to cost US$4 million, will serve as a foundation for the island to foster a digital economy. Taiwan is contributing US$3.28 million to the project, with the Government of Saint Lucia providing the remaining US$720,000.

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The island-wide network project will be completed within three months, reported Jamaica Observer, citing the country’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

Thanking the Taiwanese, Chastanet said the project will not just increase the use and access to the internet but also improve Saint Lucia’s ranking in the world Network Readiness Index.

Today, according to St Lucia Times, the island has an average broadband speed of 1.98 megabits per second (mbps), meaning it takes eight hours and thirty-six minutes (08:36:09) to download a 7.5GB movie. By contrast, Taiwan has an average broadband speed of 34.4Mbps.

“The project is in-keeping with government’s plans to enable access to information for residents as well as develop village tourism and ensure visitors to Saint Lucia can stay connected while enjoying our island,” Chastanet added.

The project also includes the installation of hundreds of wifi hot-spots in public places for visitors and tourists to access the web free of charge.

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Furthermore, Deep Blue Cable recently announced that it had partnered with SubCom, a subsidiary of global networking firm TE Connectivity, to build a subsea fiber-optic cable connecting the island with a number of Caribbean countries and the United States.

Narayan Ammachchi

News Editor for Nearshore Americas, Narayan Ammachchi is a career journalist with a decade of experience in politics and international business. He works out of his base in the Indian Silicon City of Bangalore.

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