French Guiana to tender US$90mn submarine cable to Europe

French Guiana has launched a tender to build and operate a submarine cable connecting it to Europe with an estimated value of 80mn euros (US$89mn).

The local authority of French Guiana (Collectivité T erritoriale de Guyane) has put together a consortium called Splang (Societé Publique Locale pour l'Amènagement Numérique de la Guyane) from which all documents can be downloaded and with whom the corresponding consultations can be made.

According to the invitation for the tender, the system required would have the capacity for high-speed and secure broadband.

The fiber optic network would have a landing point in Kourou and an optional landing point at Saint Laurent-du-Maroni, both in French Guiana.

The deadline for the submission of bids, in French, is September 21, 2016. The concession contract would commence in December and end on November 14, 2031.

Queries can be made to greffe.ta-cayenne@juradm.fr or by calling +59 4594254970.

In January, French telecoms regulator Arcep called for bids for a tender to auction spectrum in the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands that remains unassigned in France's five overseas departments: Guadeloupe-Martinique, St Barthélemy-St Martin, French Guiana, Réunion and Mayotte.

By the May 10 deadline Arcep had received bids from 25 applicants.