Submarine cable

Talamua Online reported that the submarine cable maintenance vessel CS Reliance has arrived in Apia and will maintain and service communication cables in the Pacific.

Samoan Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Lepuiai Rico Tupa'i said their main focus is to improve connectivity to the outside world, generate job opportunities and financial benefits for the development of Samoa.

The ship has arrived in time for the opening next week of the Samoa Marine Depot at the Apia wharf.

The minister has told Radio 2AP a technical hiccup in the connection of the cable in Wallis and Futuna as well as in Savusavu in Fiji has caused the delay.

But Afamasaga said the cable will be operational in mid-February which allows time for local communication companies such as Digicel and Bluesky to make arrangements to make use of the new cable.

The minister said another separate project, the Manatua submarine cable which will also connect Samoa, is expected to start soon and is scheduled to be completed in the middle of next year.

In a letter, Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, invited Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga to take advantage of the Tui Samoa and Southern Cross cables.

Those cables, which are currently under construction, would connect Samoa to Fiji, and then on to the United States and Australia to provide high speed, cheaper internet.

RNZ reports Samoa recently signed a similar deal with Wallis and Futuna to connect the French territory to the submarine cables.

The Chairman of Digicel Group Mr. Denis O’Brien revealed this during a press conference in Suva yesterday afternoon.

“We are investing in a new submarine cable from Samoa to Fiji as well as part of our regional connectivity build up as well.”

Talks on the development were held in New Zealand recently, and engaged the leaders of the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue and Tokelau.

The Cook Islands finance minister, Mark Brown, who was at the meeting, said they heard from two vendors for the cable - Auckland-based Hawaiki, and Bluesky.