wiredinUSA August 2018

The new trans-Pacific submarine fiber optic cable, connecting Australia and New Zealand to the US mainland. Photograph courtesy of Hawaiki

Pacific cable launch

A new trans-Pacific submarine fiber optic cable, connecting Australia and New Zealand to the US mainland via Hawaii, has launched commercial operations. Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP, the independent consortium behind the $300 million project, said its 15,000km fiber optic cable represents a “new dawn” for digital communications in the region, delivering 43Tb of additional capacity. “This 25-year trans-oceanic infrastructure opens the door for unprecedented levels of economic, social and research collaboration right across the Pacific,” Hawaiki CEO Remi Galasso said in a statement. “Hawaiki is the fastest and largest cross-sectional capacity link between the US, Australia and New Zealand. It will significantly enhance our connectivity to the rest of theworld and, ultimately, improve the everyday lives of our communities.”

The project has attracted support from government entities and public companies. Its anchor customers include Amazon Web Services, Vodafone, American Samoa Telecommunications Authority and research, and Education Advanced Network New Zealand. The US territory of American Samoa will be connected fromdayone, and thecablehas several stubbed branching units to enable its future connection to New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. Construction of the Hawaiki cable system, including the marine survey, design, manufacturing and cable laying, took 27 months, and was undertaken by New Jersey-based TE SubCom. In Hawaii, the consortium selected DRFortress as its landing and operating partner, with a cable landing station located in Kapolei.

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wiredInUSA - August 2018