Digicel's First Phase of Underground Fiber Optic Network completed means Tier III Data Center, FTTH, VoIP and Streaming in 2015

“This investment in fibre by Digicel Business will certainly help us to achieve some of the broader objectives of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, as well as some of our ICT development plans. We're looking to redevelop downtown Kingston, and having this fibre Network will definitely play a key role in making this work”

Mayor of Kingston Senator Angela Brown-Burke commenting on the significant of Digicel's Underground Fiber Optic Network to the redevelopment of Downtown Kingston

Telecom Provider Digicel Underground Fiber Optic Network is almost complete a little later than the July 2014 deadline I’d predicted in my blog article entitled “Digicel’s Fiber Optic Network has July 2014 Completion Date – Launchpad for 4G LTE, Frame Relay, FTTH and Cloud Based PBX Services”.

The first phase of their Underground Fiber Network encompasses the Kingston and Montego Bay, with the same stated intentions of taking advantage of the boom in BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) aka Call Centers popping up in these Metropolitan areas like daisies as mentioned in the article “Digicel fibre Network to help create 'smart cities' in Jamaica”, published Wednesday, December 03, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

They’ve completed their Underground Fiber Optic Network in time for the launch of their 700MHz Band 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) Network come 2015. They already provide Fiber Optic connectivity to these and other Business interests including:

1.      BPO

2.      Manufacturing

3.      Tourism

The Commercial and Business interest will not only use their direct Fiber Optic connectivity for conducting their Business but it'll also facilitate their connection to Digicel Tier III Data Centre as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “Digicel’s Cloud Backup Services – A deep Analysis”.

Their Underground Fiber Optic Network will also facilitate their build out of the 4G LTE Network to connect their millions of customers to high speed Broadband Internet. So local broadcasters TVJ and CVM TV will have to put their plans in gear to provide their own Streaming Services via this 4G Broadband powered by Digicel's Underground Fiber Optic Network as the ownership of smartphones and Tablets increases in Jamaica.

This in turn will enable students and Teachers to have access to FTTH (Fiber to the House) services that may purchase directly. It can also be use to provide free Wi-Fi based CAP (Community Access Points) at Schools and homework Centers enable the TIS Project content Providers to work as described in my blog article entitled “JA$114 million spent on Content for TIS Project Tablets - JA$76 million on Math, English and Science Content by January 2015 to stop Teachers Padding Book-lists for Commissions”.

This will enable students with their Tablets to work more effectively as pointed out by Mayor of Kingston Senator Angela Brown-Burke, quote: “Kids are going to go home with their tablets. So once they're in a Wi-Fi area, they can pick up and continue their work”.

Digicel Underground Fiber Optic Network - Fiber Optic Roadway to connect customer to their Tier III Data Center

General Manager of Digicel Business Jason Corrigan, has pointed out that Digicel's Underground Fiber Optic Network connects directly to their Tier III Data Centre.

This enables them to provide competitive Cloud Services to their growing list of Corporate clients, many of whom may not have the financial wherewithal to invest in Fiber Optic connectivity, quote: “Businesses need to be able to access the type of technology that will enable them to perform at global standards. But we understand that most times, lack of capital to invest in solutions like these and not having the resources to manage them are barriers to adoption for many Jamaican Businesses”.

It's all about connecting customers, as Digicel is basically building the road straight to their Gingerbread-flavoured house to capture Companies that otherwise would not be able to have access to affordable Fiber Optic Broadband and Cloud Services, to again quote General Manager of Digicel Business Jason Corrigan: “That's why Digicel Business has invested so much in building out a shared-services Cloud platform that will enable them to enjoy the benefits of the technology, regardless of their size or the amount of resources they have at their disposal. Being able to use these services on our fibre Network gives Businesses even more advantages, as they have access to greater bandwidth and speed”.

It'll also allow Digicel to fulfill another objective; assisting Jamaica in becoming the Fourth Node in the Global Logistics Hub Business, which will need High-bandwidth Fiber Optic Services to be viable.

Again another famous quote General Manager of Digicel Business Jason Corrigan supports this view: “Cloud computing, BYOD and video have changed the way organisations communicate, enabling employees, partners and customers to interact with the Business 24/7. Being able to offer this level of service will undoubtedly provide motivation for multi-national corporations in the global logistics industry that have connectivity at the top of their list of priorities”.

VoIP and Streaming - How Digicel's Fiber Optic Network VoIP, Streaming and FTTH

Aside from transacting Business over high-speed Broadband that the Underground Fiber Optic allows enables other Cloud-based service as described in my blog article entitled “Digicel Cloud Backup Service and future Cloud-Based Services - V.S Naipaul's A House for Mr Biswas”:

1.      IP Surveillance CCTV Camera Systems

2.      Personal Cloud Services

3.      Streaming

4.      Video-conferencing

5.      VoIP

VoIP is the potential new ICT (Internet and Computer Technology) Cash cows for the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining has indicated that VoIP Providers have to be licensed to operate in Jamaica so that they can also contribute to the USF (Universal Service Fund) Levy as declared in my blog article entitled “Minister Paulwell says VoIP Providers must Register to Terminate - Why WhatsApp may no longer be Free as IXP by January 2015, MNP by May 2015”.

Streaming is also coming to Jamaica, especially as DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) is on the agenda for 2015 for the Broadcasters as I'd predicted in my Geezam blog article entitled “The Future of Free-to-Air Broadcasters in Jamaica as Digital Switch Over Approaches in 2015”.

Digicel has already implemented plans for a Caribbean-wide Streaming Television Network using their newly-acquired Undersea Fiber Optic Network, Cable Providers all around the Caribbean and 24/7 Sport channel SportsMax as predicted in my blog article entitled “Digicel purchases SportsMax – Why No Games, Just Sports on Digicel's Streaming Cable TV over Bigger, Better Network 4G LTE and FTTH”.

They may even provide FTTH (Fiber to the Home) services once they have a fairly large coverage area, making them cost-competitive with FLOW and LIME, who have plans for deploying FTTH in the near future thanks to a US250 million investment announced in September 2014 by Chief Executive Officer of CWC, Phil Bentley as reported in my blog article entitled “CWC invests US$250 million in LIME Jamaica - Mobile 4G LTE, Broadband, LIME TV and FTTH Expansion will make LIME the Google of Jamaica”.

Digicel are now completing the Underground Fiber Optic Network to power their 4G LTE Network and other ICT related services.

Digicel smart cities powered by Fiber Optic Network - How Jamaica can be empowered to become a ICT Hub

With Businesses using Underground Fiber Optic Services spun off from their Underground Fiber Optic Network, it'll bring down the cost of Broadband Internet in Jamaica, making 4G LTE and Wi-Fi Hotspots ubiquitous through Jamaica.

This effectively empowers the Smart cities concept that Digicel is eagerly promoting for some time now, with financial benefits for Jamaica, to quote Digicel: “Smart cities generate insights from big data to improve efficiency of physical infrastructure use and enhances decision-making as it engages e-participation with its citizens”.

This does indeed match with a study quoted by Telecom Provider LIME that was done by Telecom Equiptment Supplier Ericsson and Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology. This study, released in May 2014, indicates a strong connection between access to Wireless Broadband and Increased Earnings as explained in my blog article entitled “Digicel and LIME's 4G LTE Adoption in Jamaica – Budget Tablets with Microsoft Productivity Software spark Wireless Broadband Revolution” .

All these potential usages of their Underground Fiber Optic Network fits with Digicel's overall long Term roadmap of achieving 25% of revenue from ICT Services as mentioned earlier in my blog article entitled “Digicel to invest US$85 million in 4G LTE Network - 25% of Total revenue from ICT as 4G LTE Investments designed to weather the coming Summer WhatsApp Storm”.

2015, the Year of the Sheep, Promises to be the year when Digicel will roll out their 4G LTE Network along with all the other ICT Services that their Underground Fiber Optic Network, when completed, will bring!