Wedoany.com Report on Feb 6th, The Jamaican government announced on Tuesday that it has signed a Letter of Intent with Trans Americas Fiber System to connect the country to the TAM-1 subsea cable system.
The deployment of the TAM-1 subsea cable is divided into two phases. The first phase, expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026, will connect Florida with Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The second phase will add branches connecting Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the British Virgin Islands, the Dutch Antilles, Trinidad, and the newly added Jamaica.
At the signing ceremony, Daryl Vaz, Jamaica's Minister of Energy, Transport, and Telecommunications, stated that the TAM-1 subsea cable presents an opportunity for Jamaica to access a new system. Since the cable is nearing operational status and the Jamaican branch is only 220 kilometers from the coast, installation can be completed relatively quickly.
Vaz noted that the TAM-1 branch will be equipped with a fiber pair, providing Jamaica with up to 20 Tbps of international bandwidth. This branch is expected to help local operators significantly reduce international bandwidth costs, which is crucial for advancing the government's national broadband project.
Vaz added that the final agreement is expected to be signed later this year, with branch construction tentatively scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. "We anticipate the cable will be fully operational by the third quarter of 2027," he said.
In his remarks, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness mentioned that the impact of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 highlighted the importance of resilient infrastructure as a catalyst for transformation. "We are using this moment as an opportunity to make strategic investments to stimulate economic growth and strengthen our national foundation," he stated.
Currently, Jamaica has two subsea links connecting it beyond the Caribbean region—the Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1) system and the ALBA-1 system—as well as regional fiber links connecting to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, and the British Virgin Islands. Access to the TAM-1 subsea cable will further enhance Jamaica's international communication capabilities.
