Enhancing Subsea Cable Protection and Resilience in the Caribbean

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT 

The objective of this project is to conduct a comprehensive regional study on the resilience of subsea telecommunications cable infrastructure in the Caribbean. This study will involve creating a multi-stakeholder ArcGIS-based map to investigate the dependencies among subsea cables, assessing their resilience, and studying climate change-related and natural risks impacting these cables. The project aims to develop a detailed Resiliency Plan to enhance the resilience of the subsea cable network, thereby ensuring continuous and reliable Internet connectivity for the Caribbean islands. 

WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT? 

This project is crucial because subsea telecommunications cable infrastructure underpins 99% of all international data traffic, making its functioning essential for the Internet resiliency. Small islands, in particular, rely heavily on these cables for their Internet traffic and economic health. Without resilient subsea cables, they face lack of access to the global Internet due to low bandwidth and high costs. The project addresses the unique challenges of ensuring subsea cable resilience, which involves international coordination, effective policy implementation, viable business cases, and climate change mitigation design. By enhancing the resilience of this infrastructure, the project aims to support decision-making, financing, and regulation, ultimately promoting the development of a robust digital economy in the Caribbean.