The terrestrial segment of the cable in Colombia is being constructed in partnership with EMCALI (Empresas Municipales de Cali) – a state-owned utilities services company in Cali, Colombia – and the infrastructure is intended to improve communications access to and from the country.
Level 3 claims the new Pacific subsea route will enhance Colombia’s international connectivity, and ends the country’s reliance on traditional connectivity via the Caribbean coast.
Cali will be used as a new landing point, and market watchers believe it could be developed to serve as a hub for the region, particularly as it serves as an inland city with direct connectivity via the new undersea cable.
“Level 3 has been continually enhancing its network and services in Colombia to offer optimal solutions to our customers,” said Hector Alonso, regional president of Latin America at Level 3. “This new Pacific subsea cable, in tandem with management from an experienced carrier such as EMCALI, should result in meaningful benefits for the country.”
Oscar Pardo, EMCALI’s MD, believes the deal builds on the US–Columbia FTA (Free Trade Agreement) and the Pacific Alliance, making EMCALI a key partner for the project.
“Our collaboration with Level 3 on this project fits perfectly into our strategic region plan and focusses resources on each company’s core business,” he said.
EMCALI will have access to capacity over Level 3’s undersea cable network, which will be utilised to connect Cali to major cities across the Americas, including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
Level 3 said the route is also designed to increase connectivity into Asia and Europe, and serve as an industry platform for other telecoms projects.
The Vive Digital programme, for example, which is set to end this year, was designed to enable Colombia to increase the number of internet connections through a national fibre project, with the government investing over $2 billion.
The Capacity Latam 2014 conference begins today in Rio de Janeiro and is being held in the city for the first time.
