Orange Antilles-Gyane Director Samir Benzahra (right) cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the fibre optic mutualising point in Sandy Ground, assisted by Senator Annick Pétrus. Territorial Councillor Steven Cocks is slightly out of the picture at left. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--A brief ceremony was held in Sandy Ground on Wednesday in the presence of Senator Annick Pétrus and Territorial Councillor Steven Cocks to inaugurate Orange’s first shared fibre optic mutualising point.
This element of the fibre infrastructure network will enable the operator to roll out fibre optics in the neighbourhood, gradually making nearly 1,200 homes connectable.
Orange will use the civil engineering infrastructure supplied by the company SAS Tintamarre that was handed over on November 9, 2023. The project required an investment of 2.3 million euros, of which 15.48% came from European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) and 51.6% State funding.
Tintamarre Director General Gilles Gumbs emphasised that this is just the starting point of the deployment.
Nearly 10 kilometres of trenches and 555 manholes were installed to facilitate this deployment. These civil engineering structures represent a sustainable response to telecom infrastructure needs, particularly following the destruction of overhead supports by Hurricane Irma, which had led to an unprecedented digital gap.
Tintamarre has laid almost 40km of civil engineering since work began in January 2022, including, in addition to Sandy Ground, the areas Low-Town/Rue du Président Kennedy, Cul-de-Sac and La Savane (1 of the 3 scheduled zones). These zones were delivered in the third quarter of 2023.
Work is also underway in the Grand-Case, Concordia, Friar’s Bay and Belle-Plaine (Quartier d’Orléans) zones. These zones are expected to be delivered by the second quarter of 2024.
The work carried out by Tintamarre at this stage will increase the number of connectable premises from 50% to 75%, once the fibre rollout is completed by operators in the coming months.
For the current year and up to the second quarter of 2025, Tintamarre is planning several worksites in French Quarter, La Savane, Rambaud, Colombier, Morne Valois, Agrément and Marigot.
This work will begin as soon as discussions on the additional financing plan are finalised, as the company has had to adjust its business plan in view of the inflationary situation affecting the construction and public works sector. This final phase of the project will enable it to reach its target of 100% connectable premises.
Progress of fibre coverage in the territory can be followed on the website
cartefibre.arcep.
