Hawaiki Cable Adds Branch to New Caledonia - Tomoo Cable

Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP signed recently a multi-million dollar contract with SCCI, providing SCCI with a turn-key solution to connect New Caledonia to Hawaiki, including a subsea branch to the capital city of Noumea and significant capacity on the transpacific cable. Hawaiki cable's new branch to New Caledonia has been named ‘Tomoo’.

The deal is expected to fast-track the digital transformation of New Caledonia, providing unprecedented speeds and connecting the country directly to the US, Australia and New Zealand at much more competitive pricing.

The new cable benefits from a customized network design, including connection of both New Caledonia’s Main Island and Isle of Pines.

Launched during a traditional tribal ceremony attended by the custom chiefs of Isle of Pines’ eight tribes, government and business officials, the new cable has been named ‘Tomoo’, the local nââ kwênyii word for the “tricot rayé” indigenous sea snake, a source of protection according to tribal legends.

There is now only one submarine cable connecting New Caledonia, Gondwana-1 submarine cable linking Noumea, New Caledonia and Sydney, Australia. Gondwana-1 submarine cable was ready for service in 2008, owned and operated by the incumbent government-owned carrier, OPT. 

In March 2019, OPT issued a public tender for the security of New Caledonia by international and domestic submarine cables. It was proposed to build the Gondwana-2 submarine cablea, the second international submarine cable to connect New Caledonia and Fiji. 

However, connection to Hawaiki cable offers another option. Praised for its carrier-neutrality, the connection of the Hawaiki cable to New Caledonia heralds a new era for the nation. Tomoo cable becomes the second international link for New Caledonia, offering direct connection to the US, Australia and New Zealand, boosting digital economy and securing New Caledonia’s data traffic with lower pricing.

The Société Calédonienne de Connectivité Internationale (SCCI) is a carrier recently incorporated in Noumea, New Caledonia. SCCI has been created to develop, fund and operate the Tomoo cable, New Caledonia’s new international submarine cable system. 

According to SCCI, the Tomoo cable will be 700 km long, Tomoo cable will connect New Caledonia to California, Oregon, Australia and New Zealand. Each fiber pair can support up to 2Tbps.

The Tomoo cable is scheduled for completion by 2021.