Hawaiki subsea cable network to link hubs in Singapore, Australia, and US | ZDNet

A new subsea cable network spanning some 22,000 kilometres will soon begin construction linking Southeast Asia, Australasia, and North America. To be built by Hawaiki Submarine Cable, the submarine system is touted to have a design capacity of 240Tbps and provide connectivity between main hubs in Singapore, Sydney, and Los Angeles. 

Called Hawaiki Nui, the network system will begin construction next year and is expected to be ready for service in 2025, according to Hawaiki. The Auckland-based cable network operator said in a statement Friday it had roped in telco Mora Telematika Indonesia (Moratelindo) as a partner for the deployment. 

Describing Hawaiki Nui as the first and largest space division multiplexing (SDM) cable to link the three regions, Hawaiki said landings also were planned for Jakarta and Batam, giving Indonesia links to Singapore, Australia, and the US. SDM uses multiple spatial channels to deliver greater capacity and speed.

In addition, the subsea network would further support local connectivity within Australia, with links to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Darwin, as well as provide direct international access to Singapore and Los Angeles. 

Hawaiki Nui also would be the first international cable to be rolled out in New Zealand’s southern region, linking Christchurch, DunedIn, and Invercargill directly with Australia. Two additional branches would be erected to connect Oahu and Big Island in Hawaii.

Hawaiki currently operates a cable network, launched in 2018, that links Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Hawaii, and the west coast of the US.

Its founder and executive chairman Remi Galasso said the new subsea system would bolster connectivity and redundancy for customers operating in Asia-Pacific. “An all-in-one submarine cable infrastructure with multiple international and domestic routes embedded in the same system, Hawaiki Nui has been designed to deliver direct connectivity through new subsea paths and provide optimal diversity,” Galasso noted.

He added that Indonesia was a strategic market in Southeast Asia for the company and lauded the partnership with Moratelindo. 

Under the agreement, the Indonesian telco will assume the role of landing party for the country and acquire the necessary local permits and approvals for the project. 

Moratelindo also will be involve in the system design and deployment of Hawaiki Nui, including determining the optimal subsea route and landings in Indonesia. 

Moratelindo’s president director said: “This new submarine cable system will provide an alternative low latency route for international connectivity to and from Indonesia, and reduce the country’s dependence on existing connections going through Singapore.”

Hawaiki in July was acquired by BW Digital, which is an affiliate of Singapore-based maritime conglomerate BW Group. Subject to the usual regulatory filings and approvals, the deal is expected to be completed by early next year. 

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