Telstra, Google To Build Undersea Cables In Central Pacific
Google, Telstra International and APTelecom will jointly build two underwater cables that will strengthen digital connectivity across the central Pacific and offer pathways to linking other nations.
One cable labelled “Bulikula” will connect Guam and Fiji, while “Halaihai” will connect Guam and French Polynesia.
The rollout makes connectivity, commercial and political sense with Australia alert to China’s ongoing interest in the Pacific region.
Telstra International, in a media statement, says it will be a key telecommunications providers of central Pacific Connect and will own and operate a fibre pair on the core trunk of the Bulikula cable. Bulikula is the Fijian word for “golden cowrie,” a rare shell found in the Pacific Ocean.
Telstra International says the next step will be partnering with other carriers and governments to assist in building and operating branches to the Pacific islands. These branches will power access to vital digital services across the region and will improve network performance, redundancy and reliability.
“Telstra has decades of experience providing international connectivity in the Pacific,” said Roary Stasko, CEO Telstra International. “We’re committed to improving infrastructure across the region which will support the future growth of local economies,” he says.
Telstra also is partnering with Google on the Tabua cable which, combined with the central Pacific Connect initiative, will dramatically improve the diversity of paths between Guam to Australia via Fiji and other Pacific islands, and between the US mainland and Australia, says the telco.
In its statement, Google says the central Pacific Connect initiative will create a ring between Guam, French Polynesia and Fiji. This ring will include pre-positioned branching units that will allow other countries and territories of Oceania, to take advantage of the reliability and resilience resulting from the initiative.
“Once operational, Bulikula and Halaihai will join Guam’s existing subsea cable portfolio — which includes Apricot, Echo, and Taiwan-Philippines-U.S. — accelerating the island’s position as a growing gateway for international connectivity,” says Brian Quigley, VP, Global Network Infrastructure, Google Cloud.
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero says the new cables will bridge the digital divide in its local community, It is also “Guam’s contribution — enabling new digital infrastructure such as subsea cables — to create and support connectivity between the northern and southern Pacific islands,” he says. “Our economic futures are all dependent on digital technology, and we welcome the Halaihai and the Bulikula subsea cables to uplift our people together.”
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, says the announcement gives every indication of a well-connected region, aligned to the Pacific Leaders vision for 2050.
“The Bulikula and Halaihai subsea cables will underpin the Pacific Peoples’ digital interconnectedness and lead the way for economic transformation through digital connectivity.”