THE ANCESTRAL COMPANIES of Cable & Wireless have a long history in the Caribbean, starting in 1868 when a cable was laid from Florida to Cuba. Following this, two telegraph companies were formed to lay submarine cables between Cuba and Jamaica. The West India and Panama Telegraph Company was formed in 1869 and the Cuba Submarine Telegraph Company in 1870.
In 1872 the links were completed and the West Indies was able to contact the outside world via telegraph. In 1897, a new cable route was established by the Direct West India Cable Company with a link between Jamaica and Turks Island to Bermuda and Nova Scotia, via the Halifax and Bermudas Company cable.
