Guyana-Brazil cable nearing completion

Testing of a Guyanese government-backed fibre-optic cable linking the country to Brazil is set to begin shortly, though the USD6 million project is currently running behind schedule, reports Kaieteur News. The 560km cable runs from the town of Lethem, on the border with Brazil to the capital, Georgetown. Whilst the majority of the cable has been rolled out, five repeater stations are yet to be built and joint boxes connecting each 10km stretch of fibre are still to be installed, though Walter Willis, the senior engineer at the Ministry of Public Works expects the work to be completed by the end of next month. The project was launched in January 2011, as part of the government’s strategy to increase internet connectivity in the country, dubbed ‘One Laptop per Family.’