A new "Manatua" South Pacific submarine cable system will be deployed to provide connections from Apia, Samoa to Toahotu, Tahiti, with branching units for landings to Niue; Aitutaki, Cook Island; Raratonga, Cook Island; and Vaitape, Bora Bora.
The Manatua Cable will be a new two/three fiber pair trunk that connects Apia and Toahotu with a two-fiber pair branch to Avatele, a three-fiber pair branch to Raratonga and one-fiber pair branches to both Aitutaki and Vaitape. The cable will cover more than 3166 kilometers in total.
SubCom has been engaged for the supply and installation of the subsea system.
The Manatua Consortium is composed of: The Office des Postes et Télécommunications (OPT), the telecoms operator of French Polynesia; Avaroa Cables Limited (ACL), the cable operator of Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited (TNL), the telecoms operator of Niue; and Samoa Submarine Cable Company (SSCC), the cable operator of the Independent State of Samoa.
“The Manatua cable system will provide reliable, high-capacity connectivity to the South Pacific. And we’re pleased to have a role in making it a reality,” said Thomas Sorensen, managing director, Oceania and maintenance strategy, SubCom. “The cable will strengthen the connections between islands and create a reliable information pipeline to help further connect the South Pacific to the world.”
“The Manatua Cable is the first cable system owned by a consortium in the Pacific Region shared by four parties from four different countries. Manatua will enhance significantly the international communications connectivity for our communities at reasonable and affordable costs. This is a further step for our countries aim to continue to improve access to information and services that are migrating to digital formats,” said Jean-François Martin, management committee chair of the Manatua Consortium.
