Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the extension of the Equiano subsea cable project to St Helena provides (1) a universal, and (2) a cheap, internet connection, in line with the EU’s conditions for a grant for the extension.

The St Helena Government was granted funding by the 11th European Development Fund in February 2018 for a sub-marine fibre optic cable to the island and is responsible for managing the project. It signed a contract with Google in December 2019 for the construction of the cable that will branch off the main Equiano cable running between Portugal and South Africa. The St Helena Government owns the branch and is responsible for developing the cable landing station. Its key objective is to ensure all residents on St Helena have access to reliable, high capacity bandwidth at affordable prices and plans to introduce a regulator to enforce Key Performance Indicators which will be provided for in the new telecoms licence that will come into force on 1 January 2023. It is also working towards earth stations, digital businesses and digital nomads being located on the island, and for this additional demand for services to assist in the lowering of prices for residents. The cable, along with the associated high speed internet, is scheduled to be operational in 2022.