Suriname’s leading state-owned telecommunications firm Telesur is embarking on a two-year large-scale initiative to modernize its core IP and transmission network, responding to exponential surges in domestic and international data traffic that have strained existing infrastructure over the past five years.
The official launch of the project took place this Thursday at a Strategic Stakeholder Session and Project Kick-off Ceremony, where Telesur formalized its partnership with three global technology leaders: Openlink, Cisco, and Ciena. At the event, all parties signed a binding Statement of Commitment, cementing their shared responsibilities for delivering the network upgrade on schedule. Armando Guevara, General Manager of Openlink, and Doric Ramlakhan, Chief Executive Officer of Telesur, led the ceremonial signing.
According to official data shared by Telesur, the urgent need for this investment stems from staggering growth in data usage across the country. Between 2020 and 2025, the company recorded a 419% jump in international data traffic on its network, soaring from roughly 35 gigabits per second (Gbps) to 172 Gbps. Domestic data traffic has also expanded rapidly, driven by the ongoing rollout of fiber-optic connections across Suriname and accelerating digital transformation across households, private enterprises, and public government services.
The IP Core and transmission network acts as the digital backbone of all of Telesur’s operations, handling all data routing within Suriname as well as international connectivity to global networks. Completing the modernization will not only boost the network’s ability to accommodate current and future demand but also prepare the infrastructure to support emerging digital applications that are expected to enter the market in coming years.
For end customers, the upgrade will deliver tangible long-term benefits: expanded network capacity, more consistent and stable internet connections, and a flexible infrastructure that can accommodate future technological advances. Most construction and upgrades will be carried out on backend infrastructure, meaning the project will cause minimal direct disruption to everyday user services during implementation.
Telesur CEO Doric Ramlakhan emphasized that the investment is a proactive measure to prevent growing data demand from eroding the quality of the company’s service offerings. More broadly, Ramlakhan noted that the modernization project lays a critical foundational framework for sustained digital advancement, innovation, and inclusive economic growth across Suriname in the years ahead.