Regional operator group Bluesky Pacific has contracted Alcatel-Lucent Submarine networks to deploy a 20Tbps subsea cable spanning the Pacific.
The Monoa Cable will link New Zealand and Hawaii via Samoa and American Samoa via a two-fiber pair-segment.
It will also include a second, single-fiber pair segment linking the Cook Islands to the Samoa hub, and will be designed to accommodate the connection to additional Pacific island nations in close proximity to the cable.
Monoa Cable will be the first long haul subsea cable using 200 Gbps transmission technology. It will span over 9,700km across both segments.
“We are committed to serving our customers best. For the Pacific Islands, it is important to tap into a digital highway between the larger markets to gain the benefit of economies of scale,” Bluesky Pacific CEO Adolfo Montenegro said.
“In this instance the digital highway is Moana Cable connecting New Zealand and USA. Cost effective and reliable telecommunications bring significant benefits to education, commercial, medical and governmental activities and play a vital role in economic and social development.”
Bluesky Pacific operates in Samoa, American Samoa, the Cook Islands and New Zealand. The company already operates the ASH Cable connecting American Samoa and Hawaii and the SAS Cable linking Samoa and American Samoa, and also has an interconnection agreement with the SEA-US cable.