Claro to invest $35 million to connect southern PR to AMX-1 submarine cable system

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, left, with Claro Puerto Rico CEO Enrique Ortiz de Montellano and Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez at Wednesday’s announcement of a $35 million investment by Claro to extend the AMX-1 submarine cable system to Ponce.

By THE STAR STAFF

Claro Puerto Rico CEO Enrique Ortiz de Montellano announced on Wednesday a $35 million investment to extend the AMX-1 submarine cable system to Ponce. The move will make the city the first redundant international internet connection point located outside of Puerto Rico’s northern region.

“Today, connectivity is much more than just internet access. It is the foundation upon which businesses, hospitals, schools, entertainment, and the daily lives of millions of people operate,” Ortiz de Montellano said in a written statement. “With the arrival of the AMX-1 system in southern Puerto Rico, we continue to build infrastructure prepared for the country’s digital growth and the technological needs of future generations.”

According to the company, the project will increase data transmission capacity, diversify international communication routes, and strengthen the resilience of the island’s telecommunications infrastructure against storms, hurricanes, power outages and other contingencies.

The AMX-1 system, owned by América Móvil and built by Alcatel Submarine Networks, spans some 19,300 kilometers and links Puerto Rico to the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Guatemala via 15 landing points.

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón stated that the project would strengthen the island’s critical infrastructure and increase its capacity to attract investment and develop high-value industries. Meanwhile, Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez affirmed that the project positions the municipality as a strategic hub for technological and economic development in the Caribbean.

Claro reported that the cable will feature a transmission capacity of 100 gigabits per second and a total capacity of up to 90 terabits per second, serving as part of one of the Americas’ leading connectivity platforms.