A consortium of regional telecom companies approved the final stages of planning for the installation of the Manatua – One Polynesia Cable, which will have landings in Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, Apia, Samoa and Niue.
The Manatua – One Polynesia Cable will be the first fiber cable to reach Niue and the Cook Islands.
Subcom, which was selected for the project, confirmed that the cable is already in the region following manufacture in New Hampshire. Transfer of the 3700km cable from the delivery freighter Thorco Liva onto specialist cable laying vessel SubCom Reliance is currently underway. Cable lay operations will commence in Samoa in November, Niue and Cook Islands in December, and finish in French Polynesia in January 2020.
Manatua Consortium executives from Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT) in French Polynesia, Avaroa Cable Limited (ACL) in the Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited (TNL) in Niue, and Samoa Submarine Cable Company (SSCC), in the Independent State of Samoa, met in Apia this week to approve detailed installation plans.
Vairani Davio, Joint-Chair of the Manatua Procurement Group and OPT’s Chef de Project Telecom said: “The Manatua cable is a physical embodiment of the Polynesian leaders’ shared vision of a connected region, delivering reliable, high-capacity and affordable connectivity. It will strengthen our cultural connections and create the foundation for our island’s digital transformation.”
