Claro Puerto Rico, a Latin American telecommunications firm owned by América Móvil, will invest US$ 35 million in landing the AMX-1 subsea cable in Ponce, Puerto Rico adding redundancy and diversity to the island’s connectivity landscape.
The AMX-1 subsea cable is owned by América Móvil and was built and installed by Alcatel Submarine Networks. The cable has been operational since 2014. With the AMX-1 now landing to the south, Ponce is set to become the first redundant international internet connection point outside the northern region of Puerto Rico.
“With the arrival of the AMX-1 system in southern Puerto Rico, we continue to build an infrastructure prepared for the country’s digital growth and the technological needs of future generations. This increases the redundancy and responsiveness of our network, in the event of storms, hurricanes, contingencies or electrical interruptions. This architecture will strengthen the continuity, stability and reliability of the services used daily by homes, companies, institutions and government entities,” Enrique Ortiz de Montellano, President of Claro Puerto Rico said in a press release.
The cable spans around 19,300 km connecting North America, Central America, and South America with 15 landing stations located in the US, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico. The cable has a transmission speed of 100 Gbps and a total capacity of 90 Tbps.
The mayor of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, Marlese Sifre Rodríguez, said that the arrival of AMX-1 affirmed the potential of Ponce to be a key part of the economic and technological development of Puerto Rico.
“We continue to consolidate ourselves as an attractive destination for innovation, investment and the creation of high value-added jobs. This new infrastructure strengthens Puerto Rico’s technological resilience and positions the south as a strategic point for the digital development of the Caribbean. In Ponce we continue to promote initiatives that promote economic growth, competitiveness and better opportunities for our people,” said Rodríguez.
The Ponce landing continues more than a decade of investment by Claro and América Móvil in Puerto Rico’s telecommunications infrastructure. While Puerto Rico is well connected to the north, the prevalence of natural disasters, including hurricanes requires redundant connectivity. Claro has not said when the southern connection will enter service.