The Availability, Stability and Price of Internet is Shaping the Future of Roatan

The Bay Island’s internet dates back to the 1990s when Hondutel began providing its 256 bit dial up service. A few years later Trópico Telephone and Internet (TTI), a private company that began offering broadband, was forced out of business in 2008 by Honduran government cracking down on “illegal” ISP providers. Hondutel seized TTI’s property and ran the private, booming company out of business. The road to affordable internet in Honduras was certainly not easy.

Honduras gets its internet from two commercial fiber cables brining in internet from Florida to Omoa. One is Maya 1, owned by Telefónica, laid in 2000, and the other is Arcos, owned by Liberty Cable, laid in 2001. Both cables are coming to the end of their 25-year life cycle and there is another company eyeing the Honduran market. Before reaching Roatan, the cable runs on the ground for 180 kilometers to La Ceiba before it is connected to the cable for Roatan.

In August 2020 BITEL (Bay Islands Telecommunications) installed a 77 kilometer cable from La Ceiba to Roatan. An underwater fiber optic internet cable made operational in October 2020. BITEL is owned by six investors, two of them Roatanians: Kyle McNab and Ron McNab, current Mayor of Roatan Municipality.

Internet and especially fast internet on Roatan are still expensive for an average islander. “Even though you need 15 megabytes in your house you can only afford 5,” says Duane McNab, owner of MaxCom, Roatan’s biggest internet provider. Still, it is not easy to afford a service that cost $75 for 5g when an average salary in Honduras is just $423.

Max Communications went from a “Chiclet money business” for Duane McNab’s father in the off-fishing season to a communications company employing 75 people. The company traces its beginnings to the 1980s in Oak Ridge. “His main priority was to get live TV so he could watch Mike Tyson box,” Says Duane McNab remembering the early days. So, in the 1980s SatMc Cable Company was created. “I had a guy changing VHS content every day, so people had something to watch on TV,” said Duane McNab. Eventually a Galaxy 5 satellite was re-positioned to service Roatan and live transmission of 13 channels began in 1990.

In 2006 Duane McNab took over control of the company that his father launched. Since then, Max Cable has grown in leaps and bounds buying out smaller internet and cable providers that focused on smaller markets on the island: Island Cable, Global net’s Roatan operations and Televa Alma in 2011, and in 2012 Cable Color.

According to McNab, in 2013-14 The Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL), a Honduran government entity regulating communications, forced a decrease in internet prices on operators in the country. “It was so much per gigabyte, period,” said McNab. “With this set price we can budget. We know there is not going to be a change tomorrow or next month,” said McNab. “Even though we sell data to you at unlimited use, we pay per consumption.”

BITEL installed a 77 kilometer cable from La Ceiba to Roatan.

By 2012 Max Communications formed an alliance with Cable Color. “We purchased bandwidth together to have a discounted price,” says McNab. It purchased D&D Utila ISP company and in April 2020 they plan to lay down fiber in Utila.

Max Communications has been growing in leaps and bounds adding over 300 accounts in December 2019 and the first two months of 2020. “It’s a stable business, but not as lucrative business as many people would think,” says McNab. “You have to have a large amount of clients for it to be a lucrative business.”

MaxCom has been growing to become one of the biggest employers on the island, top ten. After Sun Corporation, Municipality, RECO and Galaxy. The company manages five offices, four towers and 10 repeaters. “I’m here every day at 7:30am,” says McNab. MaxCom has the biggest share of Roatan’s internet providers of the total 13,600 homes on Roatan. On Guanaja MaxCom partnered with Jackson’s cable a local company. There are 1,274 homes on Utila, 3,400 homes on Guanaja, and McNab has even investigated expanding its operations to the Cayman Islands.

But there are several companies staying in site of MaxCom. Especially competitive on the island market is Fibernet owned by the Dip family who also owns Sat Vision in La Ceiba. The other internet providers on Roatan are Claro, Tigo, Reytel, Netman and Mopleco Vision. The cost of entry to Roatan’s ISP’s market are quite small. “We have too many players,” said McNab. “We are the oldest and the only islander owned internet company on the island.”

Max Communications has been growing in leaps and bounds.

As availability of internet is spreading across Roatan, the speed of the connections are also increasing. “5G is about to hit the world market, it’s inevitable,” said McNab. “It’s going to use higher frequencies. We are not going to know how this affects the human body until the time passes,” said McNab.

5G is on the horizon on Roatan as well. “Obviously Tigo and Claro will bring it, it’s definitely coming, but it’s a very expensive technology so it will take a few years,” says Mitch Cummins who owns Paradise Computers. Paradise Computers, a technical services company, was first to bring high speed interned to the island in 2002. “The normal patterns is to be three to five years behind US,” says Cummins.

Cummins believes that the most exciting thing on the horizon is Elon Musk’s Star link, announced to be coming to Honduras in 2023. “That will be a game changer, especially in rural areas,” says Cummins.

Historic Tragedy near Guanaja’s Shores

By Elke Jackson-McNab 
A pioneer in the floral industry on Roatan, Elke loves refurbishing, decorating, antiques, beautiful new and vintage things. Elke is very devoted to her family and her Christian life. She remembers vividly her interaction with the captain and crew of the Fantome in 1997, when this beautiful vessel first arrived to the islands.

The Fantome, originally named “The Flying Cloud” was considered one the world’s most luxurious yachts when she was completed in 1927. By 1998 this four-mast, 282-foot, steel-hulled staysail schooner was owned by Windjammer Barefoot Cruise based in Miami, Florida.

The yacht was built by the Italian navy and purchased before its completion by the Duke of Westminster. A few years later “The Flying Cloud” was sold to Nelson Warden, who died two years later and his wife let the yacht her go. “The Flying Cloud” was then acquired in auction by Arthur Guinness, who renamed her “Fantome” which in French means ghost.

In 1956[U1] it is said that Aristotle Onassis “the Greek Tycoon,” purchased her as a wedding gift for Princess Grace of Monaco. Onassis did not receive an invitation to the wedding, so he just left the yacht to rust at a port in Kiel, Germany. In 1969 Captain Michael Burke Sr., owner of Windjammer Barefoot Cruise, bought her from Onassis. She was half sunken and rusting. When he first saw the Fantome, he was a bit disappointed, she was a wreck, but he could see her potential. He then refurbished the schooner at a cost of $6 million US, and she became flagship of his tall ship barefoot cruise line[U2].

Windjammer Cruises was a different kind of cruise. It was a very relaxed, go barefoot cruise. No special dress code was required and sometimes it was a you did not need any clothes at all.

In the spring of 1997 Mr. Allan Hyde, and Michael D. Burke Jr in Miami, made arrangements for Roatan to be one of the destinations of the Fantome. Mr. Allan offered me the job to assist him with the arrivals of this vessel. I knew very little about what I was supposed to do. I was fresh out of nothing: I never used my college degree much and knew no one with any experience in cruise ship arrivals. I had my sail up to where ever the wind blew, so I went for it.

Fantome that was the first cruise ship to dock there.

Captain Paul and another representative from Windjammer in Miami come to the island in early April 1997. We toured them around so they could see the beauty of the island. There were not that many options for tourist back then, but they seem pleased with what we had to offer. Roatan did have some of the most beautiful beaches, and diving spots.

I remember the excitement I felt the day the Fantome arrived to Roatan. It was the summer of 1997 and the cruise port dock in Coxen Hole was almost completed. In fact it was the Fantome that was the first cruise ship to dock there.

We arrived early that morning: Mr. Allan, his son Shawn, Nadeen, the customs agents, and I. We soon saw her sailing in, slowly on horizon. The Fantome was a beautiful ship, she was majestic, something you thought you would only see in a movie.

Everything was well kept, polished, even though she was 70 years old, Fantome still preserved her original beauty. Captain Guyan March was always very friendly. He was a handsome blonde British born man, who had started very early at sea. At 32 he was considered Windjammer’s “golden boy.”

The Fantome only came to Roatan a few times. I remember the last time I went to receive, and entered this ship. We waited in the lobby to be attended, an in a few minutes the deck was covered with nude men.  They just stood around talking to each other; some with drinks in their hands, laughing, and chatting as if they were all wearing tuxedos. I had never, ever felt so out of place in my entire life. I acted as if it all was perfectly normal to me, and did my job.

As I met with Captain Guyan, he explained to us that it was a nude cruise for gay men, and asked if there were any nude beaches on the island. Later that afternoon we returned to the vessel with paperwork, and found the passengers jumping off the ship into the sea, having a merry good time. And again, yes they were all nude.

The deck was covered with nude men.

I don’t really know much more about the Fantome and her crew after this. They change route, and moved to Omoa, Cortes where she was home-ported. The yacht sailed to Belize, Hog Islands and Utila. Passengers would fly to San Pedro Sula, and then they were shuttled to Omoa to meet the ship. I never quite understood why they left Roatan.

According to what’s documented the Fantome left Omoa, Cortes, with Captain March, and his crew on October 25, 1998 headed for Belize to drop off the 97 passengers, and all non-essential crew. Fantome was left with 31 crew, one being a Honduran “Jesús Hernández,” who could not get off in Belize because he did not have the correct paperwork.

October 27, 1998, was a historic day in my life. Mitch, a category five hurricane, and one of the most devastating storms, blew with a relentless intensity. The island of Guanaja was left looking as if a fire had destroyed all the trees on its once green and beautiful hills.

Entire communities were devastated in Guanaja. Yet God wrapped his arms around the island and saved the islanders lives. October 27 was also my husband’s Birthday; he turned 32, the same age as Captain Guyan. Sadly, it was the last day for the Fantome, and her crew.

Guanaja was left looking as if a fire had destroyed all the trees. 

I was devastated to learn about the Fantome’s demise. Windjammer headquarters in Miami had been in touch with Capt. March all day via satellite phone trying to direct the boat to safety. Fantome was trying to find shelter on the lee side of the Bay Islands.

Shawn Hyde, Mr. Allan’s son, recalled an early conversation between the agent in Belize, his father, and the captain regarding what they would do in the event of a hurricane. The Captain answered “head out to sea.” Someone then said: “Well that’ll be the last you’ll see of her.”

Captain March found himself in a very difficult position, inside the small bridge room where he, and first mate Crispín were in had only one window about two by three feet. He described to headquarters that they were facing over 100 miles an hour winds, and up to 30-40-foot seas, the ship was being battered from all directions, the Fantome was taking 40 degree rolls. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror they faced in those last hours.

At 4:30 pm October 27 1998, the satellite phone went dead, and headquarters lost communication with the Fantome. Capt Guyan March, and his crew members lost at sea in a merciless deadly storm. Fantome rests at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, likely somewhere south of Guanaja. Yet what exactly what happened we will never know.

“Well that’ll be the last you’ll see of her.”

A couple days later, on November 2, two life rafts, seven life jackets, a life ring, and part of a wooden staircase were discovered by a helicopter dispatched by British destroyer the HMS Sheffield near Guanaja.

Even so many years later there are families, and friends who remember that dreadful day and Miss Captain March, his crew, and the Fantome.

Pitt’s father, Thomas “Diamond” Pitt, had worked for the East India Company in Calcutta and had come into the possession of an extremely valuable 410 carat diamond, “The Regent”. It weighed close to four ounces and made Pitt a hefty sum of £135,000. In 1732, using his inheritance from the diamond, William, then age 37, founded a wood cutting settlement on the Miskito Coast. His fortunes further improved, when he rescued a beautiful Spanish noblewoman from a shipwreck. They married and her connections to influential businessmen and politicians in Tegucigalpa allowed Pitt to start a lucrative smuggling business. The colony thrived on smuggling and on the export of hardwoods, turtle shell, plant medicines, sugar and sarsaparilla.

A census taken in 1769 showed the town to have 200 settlers of white or mixed origin, 600 black slaves and around 3,000 Mosquito Indians. The town was twice the size of the other two towns of importance on the coast, Trujillo and Puerto Caballos, and boasted two shipyards and 12 lumber mills. That year alone over 800,000 board feet of mahogany, 10,000 pounds of turtle shell, and 200,000 pounds of sarsaparilla were exported to London and New York. All of this illegal commerce came to the attention of King Charles of Spain who ordered the trespassers to be expelled.

The colony thrived on smuggling and on the export of hardwoods

On April 13,1781, Galvez, accompanied by 800 soldiers from Roatan and 600 from Trujillo sailed for Black River. The area was mostly abandoned as the British and their Miskito allies had left to assist a young captain, Horatio Nelson, in his disastrous mission to invade Nicaragua. The meager force of 20 soldiers manning the defenses of Fort Dalling fled into the jungle.

Galvez knew that the British would return, and waited for them. Upon hearing of the loss of Black River, the Governor of Jamaica sent a 500 man relief force of Jamaican Rangers. They joined up with members of the Roatan and Black River Volunteer Militia, led by Captains Richard Hoare and James Ferral of Roatan, and their Miskito mercenaries. A force of 1,300 men arrived back in Black River to find the Spanish forces depleted with 400 men dead to tropical disease, snake bites, and alligators. The Spanish were soon defeated in a rout, losing 120 men to Miskito sniper archers. The last 23 officers and 715 men surrendered giving up ships, 33 cannons, and three Royal Standards. The men were shipped back to Omoa, under oath not to take up arms again against the British, and the town returned to normal commerce.

In 1786, Britain and Spain signed the Convention of London where Britain relinquished its control over the Miskito Coast in exchange for rights to settle Belize. 2,650 British settlers left Black River for Belize and Jamaica. The town was formally handed over to the Spanish by William Pitt’s grandson, William Pitt Lawrie.

The town of Black River boasted some fine houses and hence the Spaniards renamed it Palacios (Palaces) and 240 settlers arrived from the Canary Islands to re-colonize the town. The Spanish forbade any trading with the Miskitos, and this, combined with the new colonists total lack of knowledge of agriculture, caused the town to fail completely.

The final nail in the coffin came on the dawn hours of September 3, 1800, when the Miskito general Perquin Tempest silently paddled down the river by canoe accompanied by 200 warriors. The Miskitos killed every Spaniard they could find and only 80 survivors managed to flee to Trujillo, leaving the community abandoned for the next century.