The Cook Islands Government believes it is close to finalising a submarine cable link up through French Polynesia.
At the beginning of this year, the New Zealand Government met with Niue and the Cook Islands to try and develop plans to improve digital communications.
It had initially been planned that both countries, along with Tokelau, would join the proposed $US300 million dollar Hawaiki cable connecting Australia, New Zealand and the United States or an expanded Southern Cross cable.
Now, in search of a more cost-effective connection, the Cook Islands Finance Minister Mark Brown told Don Wiseman they are in discussions to join an as yet un-named cable from Samoa and linking to Hawaii via French Polynesia.
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Photo: AFP