Updated: 12:25pm
We’re getting closer to connecting to the new submarine fibre optic cable, which promises faster internet connection.
The final phase to connect Samoa to the new submarine fibre optic system has begun, it was announced yesterday.
Pac Rim Redeployment LLC, the company developing the system that will connect Samoa and American Samoa with Hawaii, started the final phase yesterday morning.

THE INTERNATIONAL
FIBRE CABLE SYSTEM
The International fibre cable comprises of two cables installed between Samoa, American Samoa and Hawaii.
From here, it will be onward connected into the existing global telecommunications networks.  
In addition, the Samoa-American Samoa (SAS) Cable will provide inter-island communication, as well as enabling users in Samoa to access the ASH cable capacity and connect to the global networks.
The capacities of the cables have been tailored to the needs of Samoa and American Samoa.
While ASH Cable and SAS Cable are much smaller than the gargantuan systems across the North Pacific, they will provide more than 40 times the capacity currently in use in both island groups combined.

THE PROJECT
The cable project is significantly different from the traditional submarine cable provisioning. The Samoan islands are in a fortunate position to re-utilise the former PacRimEast (PRE) cable between Hawaii and Auckland that runs along the seabed, about 100 miles east of Pago Pago.
This was the original fibre optic cable across the Pacific, laid in the 1990’s. It had large capacity then but by today’s standards its capacity is insufficient to effectively service the needs of New Zealand and Australia.

As such, larger capacity cables – Southern Cross and Telstra Australia’s Sydney-Hawaii cables with capacities of Terabits – service their needs.
The project involves recovering the PRE cable from the seabed south east of American Samoa, cutting it and laying it into American Samoa at Fogogogo. During the pick-up process, additional cable will be recovered for re-laying between Fogogogo and Apia, Samoa.
Major cost saving has been achieved in relaying the fibre cable as only a small section of the cable is being recovered and re-laid.
The expected date for completion of the physical laying of the cable connection to Hawaii is late April.
A two-week period of testing will follow, but this will be a great milestone for this challenging project.

BENEFITS OF THE CABLE
The Government and SamoaTel have leased capacity on the cable, also a major milestone as far as International Telecommunications are concerned.
Mike Johnstone, CEO of SamoaTel stated: “The commissioning of the cable will provide significant benefits to the people and business communities in Samoa.
“The cable will provide a reduction in the time for signals to travel to their destination, which will manifest itself in better telephone communications and faster Internet response times.”
The Government added that cost effective capacity offered by the cable will permit the download of more information.
This in turn will provide opportunities for new and enhanced services, web hosting, transport and tourism.
It will also provide opportunities in connecting Samoa to the global electronic commerce community, essential for the further development of these island nations.

Ile de Ré - THE CABLE SHIP
The laying of the submarine fibre optic cable is carried out from the vessel Ile de Ré.
The Ile de Ré is a 469-foot (143-m) dynamically positioned ocean-going cable laying and repair vessel, which enables it to maintain position without the use of anchors.
The vessel has twin main engines and propellers, two rudders, and full redundancy of equipment, allowing it to hold position or to continue working even in the event of an equipment failure.
The vessel can remain at sea for approximately 32 days and is capable of operating in sea and weather conditions up to Beaufort 7. Sea and weather conditions defined as Beaufort 7 include winds between 28 to 33 knots, with wave heights between 13.5 to 19.0 feet (4.1 to 5.8 m).
The vessel is also equipped with a ROV to assist cable laying activities with a safe working depth of 8,200 feet (2,500 m).  The Ile de Ré has 6 tanks for storing up to 5000 tonnes of cable or about 3000 miles of lightweight cable. It also has storage for 20 submarine amplifiers.

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