Cable & Wireless customers will enjoy the benefits of increased bandwidth and the services offered following the commissioning of its $10 million undersea fibre optic cable.

The 1,000-mile cable called C-BUS (Caribbean Bermuda US) runs along the seabed between Bermuda and Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

Following months of planning and work on the high seas to position the cable, it was connected into the landing station and installed at the C&W Teleport site in Devonshire, on time and on budget. The C-BUS cable forms the second part of a secure network ring along with C&W Bermuda's Gemini cable which terminates in New Jersey. The first section of the cable, Gemini Bermuda, was deployed in March 2007, linking Bermuda to the US. C&W has invested in the latest fibre optic technology so that the cable system will increase the off-island capacity available to Bermuda businesses by 700 times.

The company said yesterday that C-BUS will also directly link into the C&W global network.

Gregory Jordan, chief executive officer of C&W Bermuda, said: "We're extremely pleased to have landed yet another state-of-the-art fibre optic undersea cable which benefits both Bermuda and Bermudians.

"This cable is another important strategic investment, putting Bermuda's telecoms infrastructure on par with business centres such as London, New York, Sydney, Tokyo and Paris.

"Cable & Wireless has committed to a number of long-term strategic investments for the island. In fact, we have invested over $30 million over the past two years ensuring that the island has the infrastructure for now and well into the future."