Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL), a subsidiary of the ATH Group, has committed to the new submarine cable system, SX NEXT.
‘‘This not only boosts Fiji’s status as the telecommunications hub of the Pacific, but future-proofing Fiji well beyond 2030, and ensuring there is a reliable and resilient supply of international bandwidth to keep Fiji connected to the world.’’
FINTEL’s initial investment is USD$20M. The new cable will cost Southern Cross Cables about $US350million. It’s anticipated to take about three years to put the cable in the water and is targeted for completion by Q4 2019.
The new cable, called the NEXT project, will run from Sydney to Los Angeles connecting New Zealand, Fiji (Suva & Savusavu), Samoa, Kiribati and Tokelau.
The current Southern Cross Cable, which runs from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and to mainland USA, has a commercial life to 2030.
Currently Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa have their cable systems connected to FINTEL/Fiji to access global communications via the Southern Cross Cable.
“The NEXT project increases Fiji and our island neighbors’ ability to stay connected in a world that relies on connectivity and to stay ‘always on’ despite our remote locations. More importantly, is the new wave of capacity and speed that will be available which puts each nation arguably on par with their bigger route partners when it comes to bandwidth availability, speed, and latency.”
Fiji depends on a couple of thin fibre cables to carry 99 percent of all international telecommunications, linking us to the outside world, and to modern conveniences such as email, Google, Facebook, YouTube, news sites, entertainment and online shopping.
Submarine cables have been serving human communications for a very long time. It’s almost 160 years since Queen Victoria sent the first ever telegrams via a transatlantic cable in 1858. Fiji first linked to the outside world via a submarine cable in 1902.
The NEXT cable will be able to carry five times more than the current Southern Cross Cable capacity of 12 terabits per second.
‘‘The new capacity paves the way for growth in demand, in particular, content”. FINTEL has also successfully negotiated with another international submarine cable, Hawaiki, for a branching unit to be installed in Fiji waters. Hawaiki is targeted for operational by June 2018.
Hawaiki provides an alternative option to FINTEL/Fiji’s international telecommunications link redundancy/resilience.
“FINTEL is appreciative of the Fiji Government’s approval to allow for the installation of the branching unit.”