Report recommends main Government Data Center should be placed on Bonaire

THE HAGUE--A new report prepared for the Dutch government recommends establishing Bonaire as the main location in a proposed three-part data center network intended to make digital government services across Caribbean Netherlands safer and more reliable.

The report warns that government systems on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba remain fragmented, vulnerable and too dependent on outside service providers. It says the current setup is not strong enough to guarantee reliable digital services for residents, businesses and government agencies over the long term.

One of the main concerns is that the three islands do not operate under one coordinated digital system. Government departments, local authorities and semi-public organizations often use separate systems and commercial providers, with limited central oversight. This makes it harder to protect information, control costs and keep services running during emergencies.

The report also finds that existing facilities are too limited. Bonaire has a modernized government data facility, but it cannot easily be expanded and does not meet the preferred technical standard. St. Eustatius and Saba have only small server rooms and lack strong backup capacity.

The recommended system would place a main data center on Bonaire, a second facility on either St. Eustatius or Saba, and connect both to a government data center in the European Netherlands. If one location fails, another could continue supporting important services.

Internet connectivity is another concern. Much of the government’s data currently travels through networks outside Dutch or European control, including routes through the United States. The report recommends stronger, more direct undersea cable connections between the islands and the European Netherlands.

The report stresses that new technology alone will not solve the problem. It calls for clear leadership, permanent funding and firm agreements between the Dutch government and the island authorities.

Without those decisions, it warns that Caribbean Netherlands will remain dependent on temporary systems that may not withstand major outages, cyberattacks or failures in overseas connections.

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