Government opens $30 million nationwide fibre-optic project

Ministry of Transport and Communication has opened for a $30 million project to provide up-to-date broadband internet service to all regions of the country, through an fibre-optic network.

The project, presented at the Maldives Investment Forum held in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on Friday, will be conducted in conjunction with the major telecommunication service providers in the country, in line with the National Broadband Policy 2014-2018, revealed the Transport Ministry.

“This is a very important development project for Maldives. It will be carried out in consultation with telecommunications providers,” said Abdulla Jameel, Coordinator at Transport Ministry .

The new project will lay a new submarine communications cable - which will also act as back-up to the existing cable - across the Huvadhoo Channel to the south of Maldives. The existing submarine cable is to be upgraded under the National Broadband Policy.

The government decided to undertake the optic-fibre project after considering the financial position and difficulties of existing telecommunications companies, and the government hopes to recover the cost within a period of 10 years, Transport Ministry said. The Ministry also said that the government is open to consider a consortium of companies for the project.