Megabuck Contract to Improve Communications between Jamaica, Dominican Republic

Telecommunications will be easier between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic after a deal signed between Verizon Dominicana and a Barbados telecom company, officials said last week.

The $45 million fiber optic cable deal will also be bankrolled by FibraLink Barbados Limited.

The plans calls for linking Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, with an already existing network connected to a Verizon Dominicana cable station in the north-coast town of Puerto Plata, said Verizon Dominicana manager for international facilities Manuel Fadul.

The network will enable Jamaica to access audio and video transmissions and broadband internet from more than 20 Caribbean and Latin American countries.

The cable should be operational in February 2006.