Government invites bids for US$200-M telecomms project

The Government of Jamaica has signalled its intentions to expand access of telecommunications services across the country by inviting entities to submit expressions of interest for the development of a US$200-million nationwide fixed and mobile broadband network.

 

The build-out of the infrastructure will take place under a public-private partnership (PPP).

 

With a revised version that includes a public safety network component, this invitation is a relaunch and expansion of a process started last year with International Finance Corporation as lead transaction adviser. The relaunch comes against the backdrop of Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in October 2025 and caused major disruption to the country's telecom market.

 

On the fixed side, the scope of the project includes building a fibre network linking all government agencies, extending fiber coverage to at least 140,000 unserved homes, and providing island-wide retail fixed broadband.

 

On the mobile side, the plan calls for commercial coverage reaching 95 per cent of the population and a new island-wide public safety network built on the latest available technology.

 

The call for interest is open until August 14. Thereafter, a formal procurement should be launched in October after the Government has approved the final project structure.

 

Separately, Jamaica is also facilitating a new subsea fiber optic cable to improve international connectivity and system redundancy, as part of a broader sector development push.

- JS