Hawaiki Submarine Cable and its main supplier, TE SubCom, say they have completed the survey of the cable’s 14,000km route and the project remains on schedule for completion in mid-2018.

However plans to connect to a number of Pacific Islands are yet to be confirmed. Hawaiki’s route map shows landfalls in Hawaii, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa, but the company says: “Hawaiki will link Australia and New Zealand to the mainland United States, as well as Hawaii and American Samoa, with options to expand to several other South Pacific islands.”

The company’s plan to connect to Fiji suffered a setback in December when the World Bank announced US$5.95 million loan funding to support the construction of a new cable to connect the Southern Cross Cable network to Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second most populated island.

Nonetheless, Hawaiki says production of branching units to enable the connection of American Samoa, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga, has commenced.

Hawaiki said SubCom has completed the route survey “for the entire Hawaiki system, including the small boat, shallow water work for all landings.”

Read more at Computer World