Tuvalu Telecom awarded feasibility study grant for new Central Pacific Cable

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A new undersea fiber optic cable is being developed in the Pacific region, between Guam and American Samoa, that will provide new or expanded connectivity to 12 Pacific Island countries and overseas territories, with the U.S government’s financial support.

In a national statement on Tuesday this week, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced the award of a grant to Tuvalu Telecom Corporation (TTC) for a feasibility study to support the development of the Central Pacific Cable, a 15,900-kilometer (9,000+ miles) subsea cable.

According to USTDA, TTC had selected Florida-based APTelecom LLC to conduct the study but the grant amount was not made public in the statement.

The federal government had first made public its financial support for the development of Central Pacific Cable, at last month’s US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit meeting at the White House on Sept. 25, where U.S President Joe Biden “renewed our commitment to enhancing our partnership with the Pacific Islands” and their governments.

Several agenda issues were discussed and included, “Increasing Digital Connectivity and Redundancy” where the U.S said it supports connecting the Pacific Islands to commercial, international subsea cables through efforts such as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), according to a White House summary Fact-Sheet.

Building on international commercial subsea cables under development, the U.S said it will provide an initial investment of $3 million, subject to Congressional notification, and the Biden Administration intends to request from Congress up to $12 million to support spurs in the region to meet the demand for additional secure ICT infrastructure investments.

This announcement includes an initial investment of up to $3 million, subject to Congressional approval, for a USTDA feasibility study for the new Central Pacific Cable, which would run from Guam to American Samoa to complete the triangle with Hawaii, says the White House Factsheet.

In its national statement on Tuesday, USTDA director Enoh T. Ebong said that increasing access to secure, high-speed connectivity in the Pacific Islands is a priority for USTDA, the U.S. government, and our Pacific Island partners.

“This project will provide critical internet capacity to create economic opportunities and improve lives,” said Ebong. “This grant is just one example of USTDA’s commitment to promoting resilient, quality digital infrastructure in the region using U.S.-based solutions.”

According to USTDA, the study will create a high-level design for the Central Pacific Cable and assess its technical and commercial feasibility for TTC. The cable would be the first subsea cable connection to Tuvalu, which currently relies on satellite connectivity.

When completed, USTDA said the cable will connect American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

Tenanoia Simona, the chief executive officer of TTC, is quoted in the USTDA statement saying that the absence of submarine cable infrastructure “has isolated our community from the global digital landscape, hindering our ability to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world”.

“As we embark on this journey, let us remember that the power of connectivity extends beyond the technical aspects of the project. It embodies the principles of unity, equality, and empowerment,” said Simona, who extends Tuvalu’s heartfelt gratitude to the people and government of the United States for their invaluable support in advancing this vital initiative.

Marie Damour — the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu — is also quoted in same statement saying that: “The United States, alongside our Quad allies, supports the building of trusted, high-quality subsea cables that transform digital access in the Pacific Islands. This grant is a demonstration of the U.S. government’s commitment to forming partnerships and expanding critical infrastructure in this important sector.”

No additional information was available at press time from the U.S government, on several issues, such as to when the construction will begin for the new cable and when its expected to be completed; and the role — if any — that American Samoa will play in this project.

Also unclear at this point, is the financial impact this new project will have on the Hawaiki submarine cable, for which the American Samoa Telecommunication Authority oversees the spur linking the territory to the Hawaiki system. In a recent Fono hearing, ASTCA said to date it had not made any revenue off the spur to date.