🔍 Cayman Islands Government releases heavily redacted report on subsea cable project

The Cayman Islands Government has unveiled a heavily redacted business case for a new telecommunications submarine cable. The report, prepared by consulting firm Grant Thornton, omits crucial details such as costs, length, and linkage points of the proposed cable. The document assumes that one or both of the existing cables could be decommissioned, but it is unclear whether the consortium owning the existing MAYA-1 cable was consulted. The report concludes that in the absence of a private sector operator willing to build a new undersea cable, government intervention is justified to ensure the resilience of Cayman's international connectivity. 🌐

However, the redactions in the report obscure figures related to the construction and management costs of the new cable, as well as its proposed destination. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for the public to understand the rationale behind the project. The report also makes unchecked assumptions about the decommissioning of existing cables. Following an initially denied Freedom of Information (FOI) request, a redacted version of the report was released, but the handling of the request has sparked a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman. 📝

The unredacted sections of the report recommend the government proceed with the project to secure one or two new international subsea cables, and establish a government-owned cable company. However, the document provides little assurance that the investment would result in better, more secure, or cheaper communication services for residents or local businesses. Despite the telecom firm Cable and Wireless stating that the current network can manage a five-fold increase in traffic, the PACT administration remains enthusiastic about the project. However, internal disagreements have arisen over the cost, which may be significantly higher than suggested in the redacted report. 🚧