Headquarters of the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) of Venezuela in Caracas. File photo.
The information technology company Cirion Technologies that provides digital services in countries across Latin America will repair the undersea cable damaged by the June 24 double earthquake in Venezuela.
The specialized vessel Wave Sentinel belonging to the company will arrive in the Venezuelan Caribbean waters to carry out the repair of the submarine fiber optic cable that connects the country to the global network.
The National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) of Venezuela confirmed that the vessel would arrive between July 16 and 17.
The agency explained that the damage to the cable reduced the national internet capacity by nearly 50%, which forced the activation of emergency measures to ensure the continuity of the service.
The arrival of the ship was achieved in a record time of 14 days, done within the framework of the Regulatory Speed Plan of the Venezuelan government in coordination with the private sector.
As part of the immediate response, the local connectivity rings in Caracas were restored within 48 hours after the earthquakes, and traffic diversions were implemented, allowing for the recovery of more than 60% of the service.
However, to restore 100% connectivity, the engineers aboard Wave Sentinel will deploy an underwater robot to locate the damaged section of the cable on the seabed. Once identified, a clean cut will be made and the end will be raised to the ship’s deck.
There, specialists will apply a high-precision laser system to align and join the glass filaments, initiating the final stage of restoring the international bandwidth.
The cable will be placed again on the seabed and energy will be injected from the earth’s mantle to reactivate the signal amplifiers, in order to restore the flow of data in the coming days. The process will include transmission tests that would certify the stability of the system and mark the conclusion of the recovery project.
This is one of the most complex episodes of cable reconnection in the recent history of Venezuela, both due to the magnitude of the damage and the methods and techniques applied for its repair.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
