Manatua cable manufacture passes halfway mark

Avaroa Cable Ltd confirms today that manufacture of the 3600km Manatua Cable is now well advanced having passed the halfway mark.

The advanced fibre optic cable, its six branches for landings across Polynesia, and the 32 ‘repeaters’ are being manufactured in a specialist facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA. A process that takes many months to complete.

Stringent quality processes are in place to ensure the highest quality of engineering, which will lead to error free operation over the cable’s 25 year life.

Cable manufacture is on target for completion and final testing in September 2019. The cable will then be loaded on the ship for delivery to the South Pacific.

Cable laying will start in Apia, Samoa later this year, following completion of the detailed marine survey work undertaken in June.

The announcement complements separate intense activity by ACL in the Cook Islands to prepare for the cable arriving. Work is well advanced for the construction of the two Cable Landing Stations, one each on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, with contracts now being in place for the Cable Landing Stations and the cable land routes.

Completion of the Trans Polynesian Information Superhighway is on target to be live in May 2010.

Dr Ranulf Scarbrough, ACL CEO and Vice Chair of the Manatua Cable Consortium said: “After many years of preparations, its fantastic to see the cable being manufactured at last, a clear sign that very soon Rarotonga and Aitutaki will be benefiting from world class, international fibre connections. This is a very busy period for ACL and the whole team are focused on ensuring the engineering preparations are undertaken to the highest standards”

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