THE HAGUE – A direct transatlantic cable linking the Caribbean Netherlands with the European part of the Kingdom would cost nearly €300 million, making the project financially unrealistic for the Dutch government.

The estimate was provided by Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans in response to a parliamentary motion calling on the cabinet to draw up a plan for landing new transatlantic cables in both European and Caribbean Netherlands, and to identify the necessary funding.

According to Karremans, a rough calculation shows that a direct cable between the Caribbean and European Netherlands would cost €292 million. A line running to St. Eustatius and Saba alone would amount to €237 million, while the link between St. Eustatius/Saba and Bonaire would add another €55 million. These figures do not include the cost of a potential branch connection to the United States.

Karremans noted that while a U.S. connection could improve the business case for a direct cable to the Caribbean Netherlands—by enhancing regional connectivity and creating an additional transatlantic link between the Netherlands and the U.S.—the government does not currently have the financial resources to fund such a project.

Meanwhile, a report sent today to the Dutch Parliament by the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) highlights that even without a new transatlantic cable, there is still considerable room for improvement in the telecommunications infrastructure of the Caribbean Netherlands.