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Koror, Palau – The launch of Palau’s second submarine cable connection, the Echo submarine cable project linking the island nation with Singapore and the United States, has been delayed.
The cable was originally scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023, but was delayed to the first quarter of 2024. Now, officials say it won’t be operational until sometime in 2025.
“The delay is not our problem, it’s the cable owner’s problem,” said Rhinehart Silas, CEO of Bello Submarine Cable Company (BSCC).
BSCC owns the feeder cable that connects Palau’s Ngardmau landing station to the Echo submarine cable branching unit. The second cable is designed to provide redundancy and improve internet resilience for Palau. It is also expected to attract new businesses to the island nation.
The project is being funded by grants and loans from Palau, Japan, Australia, and the U.S. While the second cable was initially intended as a backup connection, its lower operating costs could make it the primary connection for Palau.
“The new service target date is the first quarter of 2025,” explained Robin Russell, former BSCC CEO. “This is due to delays in the Echo main cable project. The Singapore regulator has imposed additional requirements, including seagrass surveys. BSCC has completed almost all of the work on our side, but we cannot provide service until the main cable is operational.”
Despite the delay, BSCC assured customers that internet service charges will not increase. The company has already started repaying loans for the construction of the second cable. “We do not foresee any price increases in the near future,” said CEO Silas.
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