Venezuela, Cuba to be Connected through Undersea Fiber-Optic Line

Alcatel-Lucent has been assigned to manufacture and install an undersea optical fiber line in Venezuela. The undersea fiber-optic line is being laid in Cuba to enhance telecommunications within the country, as well as, with Venezuela. The new fiber-optic line in Cuba is expected to begin functioning by June or July of 2011.

Cuba is not connected to the rest of the world by fiber optics due to the American restriction imposed on Cuba, which obliterated trade with America as well as with the rest of the world, it relied on expensive and sluggish links offered by satellites . The fiber-optic link will enable faster Internet services and low cost foreign phone calls, bringing in more investment to the country from other countries.

The undersea fiber-optic line project is estimated to cost approximately $70 million for the Cuban government. The undersea cable will be laid between the city of Santiago in East Cuba and the port of La Guaira in Venezuela. The laying of the cable is likely to begin either at the end of January or at the start of February, 2011, after the civil construction work is completed at the two end points.