Creating a Strategic Outline for a New Submarine Cable System to Connect the Turks & Caicos Islands
Replacing microwave connectivity with fibre optic links to provide reliable internet during adverse weather as well as laying the foundations for a digital future
In April 2023, the Turks and Caicos Telecommunications Commission (TCITC) completed a Request for Proposals for a study on the feasibility of a domestic submarine telecommunications cable system for the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).
Originating from a 2016 Turks and Caicos Islands Government mandate to enhance inter-island communication, the initiative aimed to establish a national fibre ring, ensuring robust connectivity—especially during natural disasters—as well as facilitating a secondary international broadband link.
In 2023, Cambridge Management Consulting Limited was awarded a contract to prepare the final Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC), involving consultations and with local stakeholders.
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The
Challenge
The primary objectives of the project include replacing the current microwave links with high-capacity fibre optic cables, ensuring resilient connectivity in adverse weather, offering low latency digital access to underserved TCI communities, and laying the groundwork for further digital investments.
Subsea cables, being the internet's backbone, are crucial for island nations, offering superior capacity and latency compared to alternatives like satellite or microwave connections.
High-speed internet is crucially important to economic growth across the islands. Tourism and local businesses require reliable and fast service to meet the growing needs of users. Hospitals, ports, and emergency services will also benefit greatly from new digital services—for example, 20% of patients in TCI already use remote doctor appointments.
Our Approach
The project started by analysing the telecommunications market in the Turks and Caicos Islands. As with many of the other Caribbean Islands, the market data is not readily available. Market information was gathered from a wide range of sources, including official statistics, third-party databases, market data sources, and by conducting meetings with the local stakeholders, including cruise lines, telecom operators and others.
Our legal partner in the project, Baker Botts, also conducted a legal review of the regulatory framework, procurement framework, and government financing framework. Ensuring open access to the new subsea cable system and related facilities was emphasised in carrying out this legal review and recommendations from that review.
Our technical partner in the project, Pelagian, conducted a desktop study, which is always the basis of any subsea cable system, assessing cable landings, environmental aspects, developing a cable route that would be used to perform marine survey activities and further into the project, the cable installation. This was done by following recommendations from the International Cable Protection Committee to ensure the quality of the study.
After the reviews and studies, we created a financial plan for the cable system, including estimated investments, profit and loss calculations, cashflow analysis, and balance sheets. This was followed by writing a Strategic Outline Business Case report, which was based on the UK Government’s Green Book guidelines.
The Team
Our Senior Partner for Subsea, Aki Uljas, led our contribution to the project, providing his subsea expertise and understanding of government-led projects, based on his previous work—including work with the Finnish Government-owned company Cinia, which he has been advising for the Baltic Sea and Arctic cable projects.
Julian Rawle has two decades of experience in the subsea and telecommunications industry, specialising in market analysis, market forecasts and due diligence work.
The Cambridge MC team worked alongside the Turks & Caicos Islands Telecommunications Commission (TCITC), specifically with Kenva Williams, Director General, to ensure an effective outcome that benefits all TCI citizens.
Aki Uljas
Senior Partner - Subsea
Julian Rawle
Subsea Expert
Outcomes & Results
After we completed the Strategic Outline Business Case report, we presented it to the Turks and Caicos Islands Cabinet and the UK Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
1
Strategic Outline Business Report
The Strategic Outline Business Case report was delivered in Autumn 2023. Cambridge MC presented the business case to the Cabinet in December 2023, after which the Cabinet approved the project to move forward.
2
Procurement Package
Cambridge MC and Pelagian started to work on the Procurement Package and the upcoming tender process in April 2024, after budget allocation for the project was completed.
3
Cable System Extensions
We also identified a few possible new international cable systems passing close to the Turks and Caicos Islands, which could have the potential to be extended into the islands:
- Several potential planned cable systems were identified
- Cambridge MC reached out to these parties and facilitated discussion and negotiations on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Telecommunications Commission
- Cambridge MC revised the Strategic Outline Business Case to also include these potential new cable systems to be connected to the islands.
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