The Manatua One Polynesia Fibre Cable Project is making great strides in connecting the Pacific Islands. The project aims to provide high-speed internet to over 65,000 people in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Samoa.
The cable is being laid across the ocean floor, with a total length of approximately 4,500 kilometers. This will be a significant improvement over the current satellite-based internet services, which can be slow and unreliable.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, with a total cost of around $120 million. This investment will have a lasting impact on the communities that will benefit from the improved internet connectivity.
Project Update
The Manatua cable lay operations were successfully completed in January 2020, after a 50-day operation that defied two regional cyclones.
The team, consisting of 65 people from the Cable Ship SubCom Reliance, worked tirelessly to place the 3600km cable on the seabed of the South Pacific.
Starting in Apia, Samoa, the team successfully completed cable landings in Niue, Rarotonga, and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and Bora Bora and Tahiti in French Polynesia from November 2019 through to January 2020.
At times, more than 100 people on land and at sea, including many local contractors, worked to bring each cable landing ashore, with traditional Polynesian celebrations and blessings marking the arrival of the cable in each location.
The Manatua cable system is on target to be live by June 2020, and will transform speed, capacity, resilience, and affordability for citizens of the consortium countries.
Construction Status
The Manatua cable lay operations were successfully completed in January 2020, after an operation lasting more than 50 days.
A team of 65 people worked on the Cable Ship SubCom Reliance, laying the 3600km cable on the seabed of the South Pacific.
The cable landings in Niue, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and Bora Bora and Tahiti in French Polynesia were completed from November 2019 through to January 2020.
More than 100 people on land and at sea, including local contractors, worked to bring each cable landing ashore.
The cable was met with traditional Polynesian celebrations and blessings in each location.
The Manatua cable system is on target to be live by June 2020.
The new optical fibre submarine cable will transform speed, capacity, resilience, and affordability.
Manatua is the first submarine cable to connect Niue and also the Cook Islands.
The cable will provide service for at least 25 years once operational.
Take a look at this: European Union Submarine Internet Cables
Featured Images: pexels.com
