Est. 2005 VOLUME XIV ISSUE 20, 18th APRIL 2019, PRICE £1 An independent newspaper in association with Saint FM and St Helena Online ALL ABOARD!…………… with Sharon Wade …………ANCHORS AWEIGH! Are We Getting a Renewables deal close to Fibre-Optic Cable or Not completion -The Latest.. French Navy Visit Marine Awareness Quiz ‘Muma Lizzie’ Reaches Her Centenary Tomorrow….. Cable link prospects in shifting sands It has been 15 months since Dr. Rosalind Thomas of the SAEX submarine cable project visited St Helena and prom- ised the cable to become operational in mid 2020. Since then it has become alarmingly quiet around the cable‘s progress. Although the European Union has provided £18 million for the 50km branch to St Helena the funding of the trunk cable between South Africa and Brazil is still in murky waters and as the required seabed survey has still not hap- pened the commissioning date has already slipped at least by a year to 2021 if it materializes at all. It has always been clear that St Helena cannot afford a dedi- cated cable to Africa or Latin America as the cost of such would run into the hundreds of millions. The only way to land a fibre optic cable on St Helena would be when another cable runs close to the island from where a short branch to the island could be forked off. Unfortunately the only other cable project to come close to the island, Seaborn Networks‘ SABR cable (South Africa-Brazil) has not made any progress either, leaving us in desperation. How- Last week the Bermuda Government sent a high-profile del- ever, with both the SAEX and SABR proposed cable projects egation to the Sub-Optic 2019 conference in New Orleans, finding it difficult to turn ideas into reality, two other proposals one of the two major submarine cable conferences globally, for South Atlantic cable routes are emerging. where they promoted Bermuda as a submarine cable hub where future cables could interconnect. Therefore a national Last week the Wall Street Journal revealed that two of the subsea corridor initiative has been launched and legislation world‘s largest Internet companies known for their multi-bil- to create a dedicated seabed corridor will be tabled in the lion investments in submarine cables, Facebook and Google, House of Assembly in the next few months with the aim of are both working on two separate cable systems around the attracting new cable business and boosting connectivity. This African continent. Facebook‘s “Simba”cable would encircle comes a year after the Bermuda Government launched a the African continent while Google‘s “Equiano” cable would space programme seeking to establish satellite earth sta- be laid off Africa‘s western coast. Large telecom companies tions which was promoted during the Space Symposium or- like MTN Group and Vodafone are believed to be partners in ganised by the Space Foundation in Colorado in April 2018, these cable projects that will connect European and Asian just two months after St Helena Government launched the data centres to the growing African telecom marques where South Atlantic Earth Station website at www.earthstation.sh. more and more people use Facebook‘s and Google‘s serv- Back then Bermuda‘s Minister of Transport and Regulatory ices. Affairs, Walter Roban, explained: “Bermuda is to reach for the stars and create legislation to govern space exploration While the exact route and distance from St Helena remains mission control centres on the island. We believe there could unclear, these cable projects by Facebook and Google do be legal, regulatory and administrative roles for Bermuda in spark our hopes for a fibre optic connection should they just supporting these new and emerging technologies and busi- be coming close enough so we can afford the branch and – ness models.” even more importantly – should these companies be willing to add a branch to St Helena. Both are committed to close The alert reader will notice that both proposals – that of at- the digital divide and have been promoting universal basic tracting satellite earth stations as well as the idea of landing Internet service through various initiatives like Internet.org and and interconnecting submarine cables to form a hub – have Mark Zuckerberg personally has stated data was, like food also been proposed and promoted for St Helena already years or water, a human right. How serious they are about their ago by the campaigners behind the Connect St Helena initia- promises or if these are rather lip services remains to be tive. Unfortunately unlike Bermuda SHG has since not at- seen. tended any industry events nor created the required legisla- tion or any economic incentives for either satellite ground But equally important is the question what SHG is doing to stations or further submarine cable landings. potentially tap into these cables. The Facebook and Google projects will be on the agenda at an Exco meeting next Tues- Asked on the matter, Christian von der Ropp, who launched day; exactly how SHG is reacting to these changing circum- the initiative more than seven years ago, explained: “The sub- stances is not known and will probably not be known as the stantial interest from the space industry to operate ground Exco discussion and any decisions is on the Closed Agenda. stations on St Helena proves the islands potential as a gate- It can only be hoped the approach taken by SHG will include way to orbit; and the fact that St Helena is politically stable, quick and confident decisions – that is quality decisions SHG surrounded by very deep waters and far from busy marine intend to stick with followed up by action and purpose. This routes makes it ideal for the concept of a mid-Ocean cable is vital because now there is competition from others that are hub. Particularly when you lay cables to Africa it could make using similar ideas to St Helena’s for a cable connection. sense for cable developers to use St Helena as a geopoliti- The St Helena Independent Volume XIV, Issue 20, Friday 18th April 2019 2 Cable link prospects in shifting sands cally safe bridgehead. However I fear SHG could do much In his autobiography Equiano describes more to promote and to ready the island for these opportuni- his life as a slave in the service of a ties especially as St Helena’s current regulatory regime with British Naval Officer and his years on a monopolist telecoms provider acting as a gatekeeper is a slave ships as well as man o’ war. He serious barrier to any such ideas.” was an astute businessman and after purchasing his freedom in 1766 (for At least our fear of losing the financial aid for the cable from £5,400 at today’s values) he travelled the European Union has been soothed recently when the and continued to trade in fruit and Governor explained on Facebook, that SHG took receipt of glassware until settling in London in 10 million Euros from the 1st Tranche of the EDF 11 pro- the 1780’s. He assisted in the reset- gramme and that in the event of a ‘no deal’-Brexit the UK tlement of Africans in Sierra Leone, mar- Government has agreed to meet the costs instead (also as ried an English woman and was a leading fig- grant funding).” ure in the anti-slavery movement. Olaudah Equiano’s autobi- Google’s proposed Equiano cable is named after Olaudah ography is entitled The Interesting Narrative, published in 1789 Equiano. Born in 1745 in what is now south eastern Nigeria. became a best seller available in several countries. Today Equiano and his sister were captured when he was 11 years Equiano’s autobiography is published by Penguin Classics. old and sold to slave traders. that is left are the rotten ones. Isn’t it many family and friends who called, IM, about time health and safety took notice posted on my wall and stop me on the Your if this unhygienic and selfish behaviour of street for your concerns and wishes es- shoppers. pecially Ian, Issy, Sybil, & Sarah in the Should we all now just pre-order our food UK, auntie Mandy & Robert on the Falk- Opinion for the month and not bother entering the lands, auntie Elaine & Julie on Ascen- shops? sion Julian, Roxanne, Tina, Cherilee, Counts TV Karla and my amazing colleagues at Saint FM who are supporting and giving Dear Editor, Dear Editor, me words of encouragement everyday. HELP!!; is there someone on Island who I would like to say a massive THANK YOU Without you guys I would be low but can tell me why it has become so diffi- to the following people who have assisted you kept me in full spirits throughout cult to be able to buy locally produced and supported me over the last few days the last few days. vegetables? Something seems to have after my accident last weekend. Also I would like to thanks Sister gone terribly wrong when we are re- WPC Sophie Crowie and Ambulance Wendy who assisted me on Sunday duced to importing such basics like; Driver Carl Thomas who was off duty on night when my wound opened and Eric onion, carrot, potatoes, pumpkin, beet- the night of the accident but came to as- who rushed me to hospital as quick as root and cabbage. I was also told that sist me and even through my stubborn- possible. Chillies have been imported from ness of not wanting the ambulance they Words can’t express how touched I am Capetown. stood by my side until the ambulance ar- by the support and concern I have re- PLEASE, is there an EXPERT on Is- rived .......this plainly shows the dedica- ceived from some but disappointed to land who can tell me how much of our tion and commitment Sophie & Carl have say the amount of stories that are cir- hard earned money is going of Island to to caring for our community in uniform or culating is unbelievable but I know the pay South African farmers, Iceland and not.