Antigua and Barbuda is currently investing approximately US $15 million in a subsea cable infrastructure project that aims to revolutionize technology access and the integration of artificial intelligence across the nation.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne revealed extensive details about the project during the Brown and Brown radio show, explaining that the government-owned cable, being installed through the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), is designed to provide affordable, high-bandwidth internet access that will transform educational delivery.
“A few months ago, we signed a contract — that is — APUA signed a US $15,000,000 contract so that we can get our own subsea cable,” said Browne, adding that the ownership model is crucial for affordability.
“If we’re going to provide the type of broadband at an affordable cost so that every single home in this country could have access to a significant amount of bandwidth as well as the kind of speed to do different types of engagements… we have to own our own subsea cable.”
The Prime Minister further explained that relying on private operators would be prohibitively expensive for the bandwidth needed to support modern technology.
Browne also detailed how the improved connectivity could address teaching challenges in the country’s education system.
“Most schools globally now are using ICTs, including artificial intelligence to deliver different subjects or pedagogy, and we have to get to that stage. You can use the technology and deliver a math class — or let’s say a math lesson — simultaneously to several students in different schools using things like smart boards.”
He pointed out that the infrastructure could assist in solving the issue of teacher shortages the island currently faces.
“We have always had a shortage of math teachers,” Browne noted. “A math teacher can’t be in different schools in different classrooms … simultaneously, physically, but with the technology they can. So even if you have a shortage of math teachers and you’re using smart boards and you have them in the secondary schools, a good math teacher may be at high school… That teacher can stay at Antigua Girls’ High School and teach the class simultaneously to students in various schools.”
The project is already well underway, with Browne stating: “It normally takes about two years. I think we’ve gone about six months so far. So within 18 months we’ll have our own subsea cable.”
The cable’s capacity vastly exceeds current needs, with Browne noting, “The capacity we have here, it is way beyond … we can’t exhaust capacity within 30-40, 50 years, if ever.”
This future-proofing allows for significant bandwidth increases without additional cost to consumers: “I can see us, for example, cutting our price and maybe at the same price, if you’re paying, let’s say 200 something dollars right now for service and you’re getting 10 megabytes, we can give you 500 without charging $1 more.”
The Prime Minister also revealed plans to potentially extend the benefits to neighboring islands.
“As we take the line from Miami down to Antigua, we can actually give them a little branch off of it, and they can probably spend maybe 3-4 million U.S. dollars and get that compared to us having to pay 15-20 million US,” he said.
