[www.inewsguyana.com] – Repairs to the high speed fibre optic network, spanning from Lethem to Georgetown, will be facilitated by Government in partnership with an external party, according to Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon.
In 2011, government began the installation of infrastructure networks inclusive of fibre optic cables and twin tracks, for the realisation of high speed delivery of e-Government content and internet products across the country.
The project comprises three components: high speed fibre optic back haul network connecting Moleson Creek to Anna Regina, working in connection with a data centre for the development of e-Government content with high speed wireless access using a 4G network. The third component is another, high speed fibre optic network spanning from Lethem to Georgetown, but with drop-off sites in Lethem, Annai, Kurupukari, Mabura and Linden.
The media was advised before of the status of the Lethem to Georgetown cable, (with government quoting the engineer, who studied the existing layout,) that there was need for a significant amount of defect to be corrected along the installation spanning Lethem to Georgetown, Dr. Luncheon reminded.
He said that two proposals for the repairs to the cables were placed before government. One is that government itself moves to do the correction or that government, in conjunction with external parties does the rectification.
Dr. Luncheon said that the number one option that is on the table right now is for Government to work with an external party. He said that the parties are still in discussions, and as such, he is not at liberty to give more details at this time.
He did however, note that work will be done to completely rehabilitate and restore the defected cable to serviceability and that under those conditions, the partner; to be identified will be provided with a consideration appropriate to the expenditure that they would be incurring in correcting the defects.
The cables will hook up government entities across the country, providing them internet accessibility for activities such as video conferencing and document signing via electronic signatures, hence precluding the need for hinterland or far off residents to travel long distances to access same.
Recipients of government’s One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative are too set to benefit as well as students, who stand to benefit significantly from the electronic library that will be created utilising open software from the e-governance programme. [Extracted and modified from GINA]
