Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1397092
29.7.2021 7 NEWS we have clearly shown this already by embarking on rolling out True fibre to all Maltese homes and businesses, the project announced recently is yet an- other bold statement by GO which fuels confidence in investors seeking to set up their business in Malta. I believe that this project is bound to forever change Malta's international connectivity land- scape. What were the main stages of this project, what is the duration and at what stage is it today? Negotiating the commercial agreement was a laborious job yet we were lucky to find full collaboration and goodwill from our vendors. e marine survey took longer because just after we started, ports around the Mediterranean were closing down due to the pandemic. In parallel, we spent a lot of time seeking an appropriate cable landing site from where we would eventually need to power up the cable and connect it to the rest of our land network. e ecological sensitivity of Golden Bay and its waters made this part of the project particu- larly challenging, but we worked closely with local authorities such as ERA, the Planning Authority, the Lands Author- ity, Continental Shelf, and the Superin- tendence of Cultural Heritage to find the adequate balance and be of minimum disruption to the environment. Cur- rently, the building of the cable landing station is in an advanced stage. Located just below the car park up the road from Golden Bay, this is being built with full consideration to the sensitivity of the area without compromising the parking facilities. I think that our architects did a wonderful job in this respect. What about the underwater cable inside the actual bay? We shall start laying the east package from Egypt en-route towards Malta later on this summer. Towards the end of summer, we shall proceed with the beach operations where eventually the submarine cable will be extended to- wards our shores up to the land man- hole prepared last year. e cable will follow a network of ducts to reach the landing station and eventually our core network, work completed in collabo- ration with Malta Enterprise. e du- ration of this project averages around three years. Who will benefit from this project? Our purpose as a company is to 'Drive a Digital Malta, Where No One is Left Behind'. When you think about it, our industries, our businesses, and – I dare say – our lives and livelihoods depend on stable and reliable connectivity. So once this project is completed, GO will be in a position to offer peace of mind and unparalleled resiliency to its cus- tomers and of course new economic prospects in terms of FDI. It also makes sure that Malta is prepared for the con- nectivity needs of the future, in effect leaving no one behind. What are we talking of in terms of investment? We are investing €25 million in this project. It has always been GO's strategy over the years to make bold statements and invest on such projects that serve our purpose to drive a digital Malta where no one is left behind. e PEACE cable project is yet one such example. investment in Malta's connectivity