CZM Hears Magens Bay-Mainland Fiber Optic Link Plan

A company planning to lay state-of-the-art fiber-optic cable from the mainland to St. Croix told Coastal Zone Management officials of the plan’s St. Thomas portion Thursday.

Representatives of Trans Americas Fiber said the 1,346-mile cable would stretch from Vero Beach, Florida, to Butler Bay, St. Croix, in 2026. If CZM approves, Trans Americas Fiber plans to have the 14.5-mile St. Thomas leg in place in 2025, providing a dramatic upgrade in internet bandwidth and connectivity, company officials said.

The two- or three-inch diameter cable would run along the ocean’s floor north of Inner and Outer Brass islands before turning into Magens Bay. Divers would ensure the line didn’t interfere with undersea life in the area, which included some coral listed as threatened, said Benjamin Keularts, an environmental engineer with Tysam Tech, a company that consulted on the project. Seagrass in the area was an invasive species but still an important fish habitat to be avoided, he said.