Above: the USVI

By the Caribbean Journal staff

US Virgin Islands-based Orbitel is planning a $70 million investment to build a fibre-optic network in the territory.

The network will reportedly be available to all homes in the USVI. The company is owned by Todd Klindworth, a longtime resident of St Croix.

Klindworth recently met with USVI Governor John de Jongh to discuss the project and explore the ways the network will access the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network, viNGN.

“I welcome the investment by Orbitel as another step forward is taken in the effort to bring affordable Internet access to residents of the Virgin Islands,” said USVI Governor John de Jongh. “One of my primary goals with the viNGN middle-mile broadband network development was to make affordable high speed Internet access available to all in our territory and this investment gets us ever closer to that goal.”

Another firm, ConnectSpace.vi, is reportedly expanding in the territory as well, looking to fill 80 job openings for work-from-home Remote Services Technicians.

Connectspace.vi is a partner in the viNGN.

“This type of opportunity will augment our efforts to close the digital divide and create a knowledge-based work force,” de Jongh said. “The work of viNGN and its partners such as ConnectSpace.vi is aimed at building not only a foundation of network infrastructure and public computer centers but provide job opportunities and training as the territory takes advantage of one of the fastest growing trends in US — business today—the growth of teleworkers and free lancers.”