Fourth international cable build now underway

  • Amy Adams
Communications

Communications Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the start of the Hawaiki cable’s build at Mangawhai Heads today.

The 14,000km cable will link Mangawhai, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia to mainland USA, and become Australasia’s fastest international cable. The Government entered into a $65 million anchor tenancy contract through REANNZ to the project.

“New Zealand’s demand for data is ever-increasing, and international connectivity is critical for our economy – particularly due to our geographical isolation,” says Ms Adams.

The Hawaiki cable will increase connectivity for New Zealanders and contribute to the growth of the digital economy through faster internet speeds. It will offer more than 30 Terabits per second, accommodating the escalating trend of household consumption. This is five times the current capacity.

According to figures released by Chorus, the amount of data consumed by households on Chorus’ network has grown almost 170 per cent since the start of 2015. On average, households are now using more than 120 gigabytes a month.

“Once complete, the Hawaiki cable will also add an extra layer of resilience and security in the event of a natural disaster,” says Ms Adams.

Once the cable is complete around mid-2018, New Zealand will have four physical data links to the rest of the world – two through the Southern Cross cable, the Tasman Global Access and Hawaiki.