improving communications with the Eastern Caribbean.

Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Ltd. announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with France Telecom and AT&T to build the new, high capacity, repeaterless, fibre optic submarine cable system joining 14 islands.

The new system, the Eastern Caribbean Fibre System, will cover a distance of 1,730 kilometres. It will extend from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad.

C&W Public Relations Officer Mr. John Instone said: "It will be the largest (ie. most terminal stations) international, unrepeatered system in the world, providing enhanced security from hurricanes and a platform to meet telecommunications demands for the foreseeable future.

"Bermuda will interconnect with the ECFS through the existing CARAC digital fibre optic cable opened in 1990, which links the Island with Tortola, thus offering improved communications from Bermuda throughout the Eastern Caribbean.'' A C&W statement said: "When operational ECFS will be a key component in our strategy of delivering a range of new and enhanced wide band services, including multi-media, to meet the needs of our customers through the 1990s and well into the next century.

The ECFS will be able to operate the equivalent of 7,560 simultaneous telephone calls on each of its four "fibre pairs.'' Construction will start in March 1994 with a ready-for-service date of early 1995.