Hagatna, Guam- Belau Submarine Cable Corporation (BSCC) represented by its chairman George Rechucher, yesterday in a commemoration ceremony signed an Interconnection Agreement with Philippines’ Globe Telecom’s CEO, Mr. Ernest Cu to build a submarine cable system in Palau.
[restrict]
The interconnection agreement is part of the SEA-US project that is being constructed from Indonesia to California via Guam and Hawaii.
The SEA-US consortium who are the promoters and original investors in the cable is made up of Globe, Telin (Indonesia), GTA (Guam), Hawaiian Telecom (USA) and RTI International (USA). The project will connect Palau, Yap and Chuuk providing faster Internet connectivity.
For the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Communication & Infrastructure Lukner Weilbacher, signed a similar agreement with the Chief Technology Officer of Telin, Pak Nanang Hendarno.
Signing of the agreements was witnessed by the President Remengesau and the President of FSM, Peter Christian, at a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency here.
According to a press statement from the BSCC, the agreements provide “for spur submarine fibre optic cables currently under construction from Palau and Yap in FSM to interconnect with the SEA-US cable for onward transport to Guam.”
NEC Corporation is the contract supplier of the project.
The press release further said that the construction of the spur from Ngeremlengui state in Palau to the SEA-US cable to the north is well advanced, with the modular Cable Landing Station expected to arrive at Koror next week.
Keobel Sakuma, the emcee of the ceremony said that cable has started being laid out yesterday morning.
Sakuma said the cable is expected to be operational by Dec. 31 this year.
President Remengesau said the project could not have been possible without the partnership among the legislature, state governments and the resource people.
“We do have a long way, already I am very excited not so much for myself but for my children and the future generation,” Remenegsau said.
He added “I am delighted to see this milestone marked today.The submarine fiber network will be critical to so many aspects of our life in Palau from healthcare to education, from social networking to business. With the BSCC network expected to be in service before the end of the year, Palau is on the move.” [/restrict]