Brunei's broadband plan attracts 19 bidders

Nineteen companies, including consultancy firms from the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore, have expressed an interest in developing Brunei's Broadband Strategic Plan, which aims to supply each of the kingdom’s 80,000 households with fibre optic broadband connection. ‘The tender was closed on 31 September and depending on who is selected, the consultancy period could take from three to six months,’ said a spokesperson for the country’s communications regulator AITI. ‘AITI has also invited proposals to provide broadband wireless access services using fast wireless technologies of the future which may include WiMAX and Long Term Evolution,’ he said.

Meanwhile, submarine fibre-optic cable network Asia-America Gateway, which was supposed to be completed in August, will significantly improve internet services in the country. The Brunei government, in partnership with DST Group and TelBru, is contributing USD40 million to a multinational consortium of 17 American and Southeast Asian telecoms companies. Spanning 20,000km, the cable system will connect Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and the US West Coast.