High speed broadband Internet access and its resulting technological advances should be available in the island within 2005, according to Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology.

During Monday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Minister Paulwell indicated that the Government was now in the process of awarding at least one licence allowing selected companies to create an international cable link through fibre optics laid along the ocean floor.  The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), which will supervise the process and advise the Technology Minister, is to invite applications for the licence or licences.

GREATER SERVICES

Cable and Wireless is currently the only local entity possessing the fibre optics link which facilitates broadband Internet access and consequently allows greater traffic, greater services, as well as video streaming and video conferencing.

Yesterday David Hall, chief executive officer of Digicel Jamaica Ltd., confirmed that his organisation will be applying for the licence, and estimated that it would cost between US$30 million and US$60 million to lay the cable.  He noted that several options exist for creating the international cable link, such as connecting to Miami, Turks and Caicos Island, or the three or four international links already running from the Dominican Republic.

"But even if Digicel doesn't get the licence, the most important thing is that whoever gets it installs the cable quickly, efficiently and provides services cheaper," Mr. Hall told Wednesday Business.

On Monday, the Technology Minister indicated that points will be awarded for criteria such as the competence of the company seeking the licence and the speed at which it is deemed capable of implementing the service, while describing the state of the technology in Jamaica.

SIX-LANE HIGHWAY

"If you think of the analogy of a two-lane highway, probably that's what we have now in terms of dial-up facility when you want to get on the Internet.  We really need a six-lane highway," Minister Paulwell told journalists.  He added: "We need to have extra fibre immediately.  Without it there is no way our data centre can expand the way that we wish.  There is no way that we are going to be able to equip all our schools with broadband capability; there is no way we are going to be able to get the population to have widescale access to DSL and other broadband facilities at prices they can afford."

Government has estimated the cost of the project at US$40 million and is insisting that those vying for the licence prove they will be capable of funding the venture.

45 APPLICANTS

Speaking with Wednesday Business after the briefing, Minister Paulwell also noted that 45 applicants had already been awarded international carrier licences allowing them to provide high speed services on the C&W fibre optics link.  However, those applicants have failed to implement the services, some arguing that the cost of using the C&W network was not economically viable.

Once the new licence has been awarded and the new fibre optics link installed, those applicants previously awarded international carrier licences will be able to provide services via the new licencee's network.

"We would ensure that its cheaper," said Mr. Hall.

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