Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS): connecting the Bahamas and the United States
The Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS) is a submarine telecommunications cable linking the Bahamas and the United States. Spanning approximately 1,100 kilometers, it connects
Boca Raton, Florida, with multiple landing points across the Bahamas, including
Caves Point,
Crown Haven,
Current,
Hawksbill,
Riding Point, and
Sandy Point. Owned by Caribbean Crossings, the cable has been listed as operational since 2001, according to GeoCables records.
What stands out about BICS is the lack of publicly disclosed technical specifications such as design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier details. This absence of information leaves room for speculation about its technological capabilities and operational characteristics. Additionally, the cable's latency performance, while theoretically calculable, is influenced by broader internet routing and infrastructure considerations, as evidenced by live measurements.
Quick facts
| Name | Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS) |
| Length | 1,100 km |
| Ready for Service (RFS) | 2001 (GeoCables database value) |
| Owner | Caribbean Crossings |
| Status | In service |
| Design Capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber Pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing Points | Boca Raton (United States); Caves Point (Bahamas); Crown Haven (Bahamas); Current (Bahamas); Hawksbill (Bahamas); Riding Point (Bahamas); Sandy Point (Bahamas) |
Route
The BICS cable connects Boca Raton, Florida, to several landing points across the Bahamas. Boca Raton serves as the U.S. terminus, a location that hosts multiple other submarine cables, including
CELIA,
Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1),
Confluence-1,
GlobeNet,
Monet,
South America-1 (SAm-1), and
TIKAL-AMX3. In the Bahamas, the cable lands at Caves Point, Crown Haven, Current, Hawksbill, Riding Point, and Sandy Point. Hawksbill and Sandy Point also host the
Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network (BDSNi), providing additional connectivity within the archipelago.
The cable's route reflects the geographical and economic importance of linking the Bahamas to the United States, facilitating international telecommunications and internet traffic.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Bahamas Internet Cable System was built to enhance connectivity between the Bahamas and the United States, supporting the growing demand for internet and telecommunications services in the region. As an island nation with a tourism-driven economy, the Bahamas relies heavily on reliable international communication links for business, financial services, and leisure industries. BICS likely carries a mix of internet traffic, voice communications, and data services, although specific details about its traffic composition are not publicly available.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records indicate that BICS was ready for service in 2001. If industry sources suggest a different year, this discrepancy would need to be addressed by examining potential delays in deployment, documentation errors, or variations in definitions of "ready for service." No alternative dates have surfaced in publicly available sources to date.
Owned by Caribbean Crossings, the cable has remained operational since its commissioning, playing a key role in the region's telecommunications infrastructure.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technology used in the Bahamas Internet Cable System. Without operator documentation, attributing these characteristics would be speculative. Given the cable's age (commissioned in 2001), it is reasonable to assume that its original capacity has been supplemented or upgraded over time to meet modern demands, but no official confirmation of upgrades exists.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation time over 1,100 kilometers of fiber is approximately 5.4 milliseconds, resulting in a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 10.8 milliseconds for the wet segment. However, real-world latency is higher due to factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and routing inefficiencies.
Live measurements from GeoCables' remote probes show significantly higher latencies for end-to-end internet paths involving BICS. For example, Boca Raton to Current exhibits a minimum RTT of 110.8 milliseconds, while Crown Haven connections to various global cities range from 110.9 milliseconds (Sao Paulo) to 218.1 milliseconds (Sydney). These values reflect the combined impact of terrestrial networks, routing decisions, and internet congestion, rather than the cable's intrinsic latency alone.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If the Bahamas Internet Cable System were to experience a fault, redundancy within the region would depend on alternative cables and repair logistics. The Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network (BDSNi) connects various islands within the Bahamas and shares landing points at Hawksbill and Sandy Point, potentially providing some intra-island backup. At Boca Raton, numerous other cables, including GlobeNet and South America-1 (SAm-1), could mitigate disruptions for international traffic.
Repairing submarine cables typically involves specialized vessels equipped to locate the fault, retrieve the damaged section, and perform repairs. Given the cable's relatively short length, repair times might be shorter than for transoceanic systems, but this would depend on the availability of repair resources and favorable weather conditions.
Bottom line
- The Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS) spans 1,100 kilometers, connecting Boca Raton, Florida, to multiple landing points across the Bahamas.
- Owned by Caribbean Crossings, it has been listed as operational since 2001, though no alternative RFS dates have been reported.
- Key technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology remain undisclosed.
- Theoretical latency for the wet segment is approximately 10.8 milliseconds RTT, but real-world measurements are significantly higher due to broader internet path factors.
- Redundancy within the corridor is supported by other cables at shared landing points, including the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network (BDSNi) and cables at Boca Raton.