Telesur and Liberty Networks says they are expanding their collaboration to strengthen Suriname’s international digital connectivity and that the expansion is primarily intended to provide more capacity and more reliable connections as the country prepares for the growth of the offshore oil and gas sector.
The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 41st annual conference of CANTO, which ends in the Dominican Republic later on Wednesday. According to a statement, the agreement provides, among other things, for the expansion of international capacity, greater network redundancy, and further development of digital infrastructure.
It said that the collaboration builds upon the existing relationship between Telesur and Liberty Networks regarding international submarine connections and that an important component of this is the Suriname-Guyana Submarine Cable System (SGSCS), which has played a role in Suriname’s international telecommunications connections since 2009.
The statement said that the expansion comes at a time when demands on Suriname’s digital infrastructure are expected to increase significantly. It said that the development of the offshore oil and gas industry requires fast, secure, and, above all, reliable international connections. Offshore operations are increasingly dependent on continuous data streams, digital communication, and connections to international corporate networks.
Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy at Liberty Latin America and CEO of Liberty Networks, Ray Collins, said Suriname is at the beginning of a special period of economic development in which connectivity will play a key role.
He said Liberty intends to further leverage its regional network for this purpose.
The chief executive officer of Telesur, Doric Ramlakhan, said that the document sets out the joint ambition to further develop the collaboration in line with Suriname’s growing digital and economic needs.
He said particular account is being taken of the demands that the oil and gas sector will place on the telecommunications infrastructure.
The companies say ultimately, the aim is to achieve greater stability, scalability, and long-term availability of international capacity.
‘This gives the expansion of the collaboration a broader economic significance: the digital infrastructure must not only grow in line with current internet usage but also be prepared for the economic activities that offshore oil and gas development is expected to bring to Suriname in the coming years,’ the statement noted.