Home News Digicel Business to launch Deep Blue One to connect Southern Caribbean
– to showcase products, technology aimed at driving efficiency on back of regional oil and gas boom
Digicel Business is the Diamond Sponsor of the 2nd annual International Energy Conference and Expo slated for the Guyana Marriot Hotel from February 14-17, 2023, under the theme “Harnessing Energy for Development”.
Digicel Business will engage with energy professionals to facilitate discussions related to fundamental advances in the energy sector as the country gears up towards more robust economic development activity.
Having made a substantial investment in international submarine capacity with the installation of its Deep Blue One subsea cable infrastructure, Digicel Business will supercharge connectivity in this area of the Caribbean and South America.
Deep Blue One, which is expected to come on stream in the first quarter of 2024, will provide best-in-class connectivity to French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, and connect offshore oil and gas platforms on the back of industry developments in the Region.
However, the conference in Guyana will offer an opportunity to build and enable strategic relationships and collaborations as the energy sector continues to grow in prominence in the global landscape. The sector has also increased in significance to the national economy, leading to unprecedented economic growth, with real GDP per capita expected to reach US$26,000 by 2024, and oil and gas accounting for approximately 74 per cent of that. This makes Guyana one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Commenting on Digicel Business’ significant investment, Head of Oil & Gas at Digicel Business, Kevin Beckett elaborated, “Oil and gas requirements in the Region and the need for connectivity is going to be very significant and Deep Blue One is perfectly placed to support those requirements. A great example of this is the connectivity options we will be able to provide, both onshore and offshore, to the oil and gas industries in countries like Guyana and Suriname as they capitalise on the boom in the Region.”
Beyond connectivity, this cable system will bring added economic benefits for all. In a 2019 report published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), entitled “The economic contribution of broadband, digitisation and ICT regulation: Econometric modelling for the Americas”, it was suggested that an increase of 10 per cent in fixed broadband penetration would result in an increase in 1.9 per cent in GDP per capita.
Head of Business Solutions, Mark Shoebridge added; “It’s important to have the right partnerships on board to assist in the journey as Guyana continues to see consistent growth in the oil and gas sector. The Digicel Business team will be ready and available to discuss with current and prospective customers how they can leverage Digicel Business’ end-to-end fully managed solutions, robust network, expert resources and cutting-edge technology to achieve efficiencies across businesses, large or small.”