{"id":115310,"date":"2020-08-17T08:30:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T12:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=115310"},"modified":"2020-08-17T16:26:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T20:26:56","slug":"apua-will-use-most-of-us168m-loan-to-upgrade-countrys-internet-capabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/apua-will-use-most-of-us168m-loan-to-upgrade-countrys-internet-capabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"APUA will use most of US$168M loan to upgrade country\u2019s internet capabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\n

APUA will use most of a recently negotiated $168 million loan from Antigua Commercial Bank for internet expansion and upgrade.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to use almost $40 million for the undersea cable and an amount nearly as great to get fiber to the homes and throughout Antigua,\u201d Government\u2019s Chief of Staff Lionel \u2018Max<\/strong>\u2018 Hurst said on\u00a0OBSERVER AM<\/b>\u00a0Monday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe amounts that will be spent on water will be considerably less than the amount we are spending on upgrading our internet capabilities.\u201d<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

APUA currently purchases space on an undersea cable owned by another telecommunications service provider in Antigua.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

According to Hurst, \u201cAPUA pays a significant sum for that space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we began talking about laying our own sub-sea cable, they made an offer to reduce the cost of the space so that it would be more economically viable to purchase the space from them rather than to lay our own.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\u201cBut we don\u2019t want to be caught in that trap because you know that once you then agree not to law your own sub-sea cable the price will go up again,\u201d Hurst said.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n