The Halaihai submarine cable connects Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to French Polynesia and Chile, with a cable length of approximately 17,483km.

Halaihai is named after a type of vine that grows on beaches. The word is often used in the Chamorro expression, “tilifón halaihai,” which refers to information spread from person to person, whether face-to-face, by phone, or over the internet.

The Halaihai submarine cable system is part of Google's Central Pacific Connect initiative which includes Halaihai and Bulikula linking Guam with Fiji.

In January 2024, Google announced Central Pacific Connect initiative to build two new intra-Pacific cables — Bulikula and Halaihai — connecting Guam with Fuji and French Polynesia respectively.

Google's Central Pacific Connect initiative is originated from the Central Pacific Cable project, which demonstrates a strategic initiative of the United States to connect various Pacific islands and boost the U.S.’s interests in the Pacific region, where it competes for influence with China.

Google partners with Telstra, APTelecom, and Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) on the Central Pacific Connect initiative. 

In Decemberr 2024, Google filed a submarine cable license application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to construct, land and operate a private fiber optic submarine system known as Halaihai, connecting Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to French Polynesia and Chile.

The Halaihai cabele system will be privately owned and controlled by Starfish Infrastructure Inc. (Starfish), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Google LLC. Both Google and Starfish are incorporated in Delaware, the United States.

Bulikula will be the first system to directly connect Guam to Fiji and the French Polynesia, and will also be the first system to directly connect the Marianas to Hawaii, Fiji, and the French Polynesia.

The Halaihai cabele system is designed with 16 fiber pairs and a minimum design capacity of approximately 14.5 Tbps per fiber pair using current technology, including the following segments:

• Transpacific segment between Guam and the Valparaiso region of Chile,16 fiber pairs, about 17,144 km.
• Tinian segment connecting Tinian (CNMI) to a BU on Transpacific segment, 16 fiber pairs, about 69 km.
• Tahiti NUI segment connecting Tahiti Nui (French Polynesia) to a BU on Transpacific segment, 16 fiber pairs, about 133 km.
• Tahiti ITI segment connecting Tahiti Iti (French Polynesia) to a BU on Transpacific segment, 16 fiber pairs, about 137 km.
• Stub Branching Units (BUs):The Halaihai system includes two additional branching units (stub BU) on the segment between Guam/CNMI and French Polynesia.

As similar with Google's Bulikula and Honomoana cable system, the Halaihai cabele system is also designed with two landing points in the French Polynesia, to establish seamless interconnection for the systems.

Notably, the Humbold cable system has become part (sub-system) of Google's Halaihai and Honomoana cable systemscable system. The Humboldt cable system consists of two fiber pairs between Australia and French Polynesia on the Honomoana cable system, and two fiber pairs between French Polynesia and Chile on the Halaihai cable system. The Humboldt cable system forms a transpacific subsea cable route connecting Australia, the French Polynesia and Chile with two fiber pairs.