Pacific / Hawaii

New fibreoptic cable for the Pacific

12:52 pm on 4 December 2015

Proposals for a new fibre optic cable linking Hawaii and New Zealand could see direct benefits for Samoa, American Samoa and the Cook Islands.

A statement from one investor, Samoa's BlueSky Communications, says the Moana Cable will link New Zealand and Hawaii via Samoa and American Samoa.

Moana Cable will use the latest submarine cable technology, providing capacity to address the region's increased need.

Completion is set for 2018.

The system will have two main segments.

The first, based on two fibre pairs, will connect New Zealand to Hawaii, serving Samoa and American Samoa and significantly enhancing route diversity for New Zealand.

The second segment, based on one fibre pair, will link the Cook Islands to the Samoa hub.