ASTCA CEO: Google Cable Project to be partly funded by the Dept of War

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate Government Operations Committee on Tuesday convened a hearing to gather information on the Google Cable Project, as well as the current status of the Hawaiki Cable and the Samoa – American Samoa Cable. Most importantly, questions about how the Google Cable Project will be financed were answered by the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) Chief Executive Officer Folasaitu Sorepa Thomas.

During the opening of the 39th Legislature of American Samoa, 3rd Regular session on January 12, 2026, Senate President Tuaolo M. Fruean pointed out in the Fono’s response to the Governor’s State of the Territory Address that while ARPA funding is expected to cover $15 million of the costs for the critical Google cable installation project, the total project budget is $45 million. He said this raises significant concerns about the remaining $30 million needed to complete the project, questioning from where the additional funds would come.

Testifying before the committee were ASTCA Chief Executive Officer Thomas and the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Leonard Seumanutafa.

In his opening remarks, Chief of Staff Leonard Seumanutafa acknowledged that the technical logistics and infrastructure details would be addressed by ASTCA CEO Thomas. However, Seumanutafa responded directly to questions from Committee Chairman Senator Togiola T.A. Tulafono, who sought clarification on how the Google Cable Project originated and whether negotiations had taken place between the Governor, federal officials, and Google representatives.

Seumanutafa explained that Governor Pulaalii Nikolao Pula first learned of the project early last year while attending a meeting on the U.S. mainland. During that meeting, the Governor discovered that other U.S. territories were already benefitting from fast and reliable internet connectivity through the Google Cable. Recognizing the potential impact for American Samoa, Governor Pulaalii immediately initiated discussions with Google and federal officials to explore the possibility of extending the service to the territory.

Upon returning home, Governor Pulaalii met with the ASTCA Board of Directors and CEO Thomas to present the idea and begin charting a path toward securing access to the Google Cable. The initiative, Seumanutafa noted, was driven by the Governor’s determination to ensure American Samoa would not be left behind in the digital age.

ASTCA CEO Thomas began by outlining the current capacity and usage of the Hawaiki Cable and compared it with the upcoming Google Cable Project.

Thomas explained that the Hawaiki Cable has a total capacity of 200 gigabytes. Of this, 30 gigabytes are currently utilized by ASTCA, 10 gigabytes by BlueSky, and another 10 gigabytes by the Samoa- American Samoa (SAS) Cable. The remaining 150 gigabytes is unused.

Addressing contractual matters, Thomas assured lawmakers that a comprehensive financial report will be prepared and submitted to the committee. The report is expected to provide transparency on expenditures, contractual obligations, and the long-term sustainability of the Hawaiki Cable.

Referring to Governor's Chief of Staff Seumanutafa's explanation on the origins of the Google Cable Project, the ASTCA CEO clarified the timeline of the Google Cable Project, noting that discussions on the initiative first began under the Lemanu & La’apui Administration. At that time, however, no decision was made to move forward, as officials were still searching for a viable funding source.

Thomas explained that momentum for the project picked up last year when Governor Pulaalii attended a National Governors’ Association meeting on the U.S. mainland. There, he learned that other U.S. territories were already positioned to benefit from the Google Cable’s high-speed connectivity. He was also informed that American Samoa risked missing out entirely if it did not sign up before the March deadline.

According to Thomas, the Governor was particularly drawn to the educational benefits the cable could deliver. With the enhanced bandwidth, students in American Samoa would be able to participate in live-streamed classes and collaborative programs with off-island colleges and universities, opening new opportunities for higher learning and global engagement.

To illustrate the difference between the two systems, Thomas used a highway analogy. She described the Hawaiki Cable as a single-lane road carrying all 200 gigabytes of traffic, shared by government, businesses, schools, and households alike. By contrast, the Google Cable will function like an eight-lane highway, offering not only faster connectivity but also dedicated lanes for different sectors — including government, education, business, and residential users.

Thomas emphasized that this separation of traffic will ensure smoother, more reliable service across all sectors, marking a significant advancement in American Samoa’s digital infrastructure.

She highlighted the role of the Asia Pacific Internet Development Trust (APIDT), which was launched last November with a focus on advancing education and research across the Pacific region.

The ASTCA CEO explained that through the upcoming Google Cable Project, American Samoa will benefit from a dedicated lane for education, a move expected to eliminate longstanding complaints of slow connectivity in schools. She noted that this advancement would provide students with faster, more reliable access to online learning resources.

Thomas added that she will be meeting with the Department of Education director to discuss how best to leverage this opportunity. Under an agreement between APIDT and the University of Hawaii, students in the Territory will be able to participate in online courses via UH live-streams delivered through the Google Cable.

She emphasized that it is the responsibility of the local Department of Education to expand these opportunities by seeking partnerships with other colleges and universities whose services could also be live-streamed under the agreement.

CEO Thomas addressed questions regarding the funding of the Google Cable Project, noting that while a non-disclosure agreement prevents disclosure of the total cost, the financing structure has been secured through multiple sources.

She explained that 35 percent of the project cost will be covered by $15 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). An additional 25 percent — amounting to $14 million — will come from U.S. Treasury funds awarded to American Samoa in 2022 under the Capital Program Fund. She noted that the former administration had earmarked those funds for a proposed technology park, but the current administration is requesting a reprogramming of the allocation to support the Google Cable instead.

Thomas said ASTCA advised Governor Pulaalii that while a technology park would benefit only a specific sector of the Territory, the Google Cable would serve the entire population. She emphasized the urgency of investing in redundancy for internet connectivity, as American Samoa currently relies solely on the Hawaiki Cable.

To emphasize the risks of single-cable dependency, Thomas pointed to the 2022 Tonga outage, when the kingdom suffered a month-long internet blackout after its only submarine cable was damaged.

The remaining 40 percent of the project cost will be funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, ensuring that the project is fully financed and positioned to deliver faster, more reliable connectivity for American Samoa.

She stressed the pivotal role of the U.S. Department of War in financing the Google Cable Project and explained why its support is critical for American Samoa.

Thomas recalled her time in the U.S. Army, when she was assigned to oversee infrastructure projects in Guam. She noted the significant investments the War Department makes in Guam and Alaska, contrasting that with the lack of military-funded infrastructure in Tutuila and Manu’a, despite American Samoa’s high per capita enlistment rate.

She said she helped arrange meetings between Governor Pulaalii and the Indo-Pacific Command, where discussions centered on securing military funding for the Google Cable.

According to Thomas, the War Department’s priority is ensuring the cable’s security and establishing redundancy. If connectivity in Guam were ever disrupted, communications could be rerouted through the American Samoa spur.

Thomas explained that the Google Cable will run from Hawaii to Tahiti, Fiji, and Guam, with a branching unit to American Samoa. She emphasized that no local funding will be spent on the project, as the War Department will cover the remaining share of costs not funded by ARPA or U.S. Treasury allocations.

Responding to a question from Senator Togiola regarding the timeline for the agreement between the American Samoa Government and Google, the ASTCA CEO stated that the agreement has already been signed, confirming that the Google Cable Project will be implemented in American Samoa.

She explained that negotiations are continuing to ensure the Territory receives the full range of benefits associated with the project, similar to the APIDT agreement in the education sector.