Hawaiki, a new 14,000 km transpacific cable system, has finished route survey work and is on schedule for completion in mid-2018. Hawaiki will link Australia and New Zealand to the mainland United States, as well as Hawaii and American Samoa, with options to expand to several other South Pacific islands.
Highlights:
- SubCom has completed the route survey for the entire Hawaiki system, including the small boat, shallow water work for all landings.
- Manufacturing continues at SubCom’s facility, with more than 4,500 km of completed cable and more than 25 completed repeaters.
- Production of Hawaiki branching units, which will enable the connection of American Samoa, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga, has commenced.
- The permitting process for Hawaiki is well under way, with Australian installation permits already issued and additional landing permits filed in Oregon, Hawaii and New Zealand.
- Hawaiki will be the highest cross-sectional capacity link between the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand.
- The system was co-developed by New Zealand-based entrepreneurs Sir Eion Edgar, Malcolm Dick and Remi Galasso.
“The start of 2017 finds the Hawaiki cable system closer and closer to ready for service,” said Remi Galasso, CEO of Hawaiki. “The information garnered from the recently completed deep water route survey will be instrumental in ensuring the long-term viability of the cable system and we are thrilled with the progress on the cable and repeater manufacturing efforts. Installation will begin later in 2017 and a fully lit system that should positively impact the entire region is soon to follow.”