Tui Samoa Cable is growing

26 November 2016, 12:00AM

Samoa Submarine Cable Company Limited (S.S.C.C) and Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, part of Nokia, signed a turnkey contract to roll out a new 1,470 km submarine cable system named Tui-Samoa Cable, linking Apia, Samoa, to Suva, Fiji, providing an advanced broadband highway in order to drive social and economic growth.  

Six weeks later the S.S.C.C has announced the addition of the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands and the island of Vanua Levu (Fiji) as part of the Tui-Samoa submarine cable system. 

Tui-Samoa Cable will deliver up to eight terabits-per-second (Tbit/s) capacity using 100 Gbit/s transmission technology. 

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, said the Cable will help all Samoans.

“Tui-Samoa Cable will help improve the lives of ordinary Samoan people,” he said. 

“It will provide school children in rural schools the opportunity to access a whole new world of information and access online education, Businesses will be able to dramatically increase their customer base and aggressively market their goods and services online to the world and sell “Made in Samoa”, Government will also leverage the improved connectivity to speed up its eGovernment program and improve service delivery to our people. 

“The ‘Strategy for the Development of Samoa’ (S.D.S) sets out government’s vision to help improve the lives of our people, and Tui-Samoa Cable is one of the key government enablers that will help us achieve that goal.”

“On behalf of the Government of Samoa I would like to thank our development partners – 

• the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Australian Government for their extraordinary support of the ‘Samoa Connectivity Project,’ 

• the Honourable Minister of Communications & Information Technology, Honourable Afamasaga Rico Tupai and members of the Samoa Connectivity Project, 

• S.S.C.C. equity investors and directors.” 

“Lastly, I would also like to challenge the Samoa submarine cable company to deliver upon your promise to provide fast, reliable and affordable internet not only for Samoa but also for our partners from Wallis & Futuna and Vanua Levu.” 

Pepe Fia'ailetoa Fruean, Chairperson of S.S.C.C., said they believe information is power.

“Samoa Submarine Cable Company is committed to delivering fast, reliable and affordable internet services as a basic right for all Samoan people; we are also pleased to extend that opportunity to the people of Wallis & Futuna and Vanua Levu,” he said. 

“Information is power and S.S.C.C. is pleased to be the means to empower rural and developing communities by providing them access to information and services that will help improve their people’s lives and also accelerate I.C.T. development and growth in the region.” 

Paul Gabla Vice President Sales & Marketing, of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, said: “The continued need for broadband access is driving new projects in the Asia-Pacific region. 

We are pleased to work with S.S.C.C. in helping them enhance broadband capacity and connectivity for Wallis & Futuna and also Vanua Levu, institutions and businesses by making our expertise and knowledge of the Pacific area available.” 

ABOUT SAMOA SUBMARINE CABLE COMPANY LIMITED

S.S.C.C. is a private company registered in Apia Samoa which will build, manage and operate the Tui-Samoa submarine cable between Apia Samoa and Suva Fiji on behalf of the Government of Samoa; the main trunk will support branching units to Wallis & Futuna and Vanua Levu, Fiji. 

S.S.C.C. will operate a Cooperative Sustainable Wholesale Model (C.S.W.M.) with the mandate to deliver fast, reliable and affordable internet services to stimulate I.C.T. innovation and development as an enabler of economic growth and social prosperity for the people of Samoa.

26 November 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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