Google has announced plans for the Central Pacific Connect initiative, which will deliver two new intra-Pacific cables, Bulikula and Halaihai, in collaboration with Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH), APTelecom, and Telstra to enhance digital connectivity in the central Pacific.
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Resilience and Reliability
Building on the South Pacific Connect initiative announced in October, the Central Pacific Connect initiative will establish a ring between Guam, French Polynesia, and Fiji. This ring will include pre-positioned branching units that will enable other countries and territories of Oceania to take advantage of the reliability and resilience resulting from the initiative.
Economic Transformation
Google stated that once operational, the cables, Bulikula and Halaihai, will integrate with Guam's existing subsea cable portfolio, which includes Apricot, Echo, and Taiwan-Philippines-US. Reportedly, the Bulikula and Halaihai subsea cables will underpin the digital interconnectedness of the Pacific Peoples and pave the way for economic transformation through enhanced digital connectivity.
Telstra mentioned that over several decades, it has established the largest carrier subsea cable network in APAC. According to Amalgamated Telecom, this core infrastructure investment in the ring and branching units will enable fundamental changes to internet access for operators in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Additionally, it will allow them to offer trunk access to all Pacific Islands.
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Humboldt Cable Route
In early January 2024, Google also announced Humboldt, the first cable route between South America and the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with Desarrollo Pais of Chile and the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT). This subsea cable route links Chile, French Polynesia, and Australia.
