Datagrid Signs Tasman Ring Subsea Cable Contract

Datagrid New Zealand, WebWire
August 3, 2026

Datagrid New Zealand has signed a supply and installation agreement with Alcatel Submarine Networks and OMS Group for the Tasman Ring Network, advancing the proposed link from project planning into contracted delivery work.

Under the agreement, ASN will supply the submarine cable system. OMS will conduct the marine survey and install the cable. The planned 2,300 km route will connect Invercargill on New Zealand's South Island with Melbourne, Australia. Its design calls for at least eight fiber pairs and a minimum capacity of 160 Tbps.

Datagrid says Tasman Ring would become the first international submarine cable to land on the South Island. The southern landing would create a geographically separate international gateway from routes using the North Island, adding diversity to New Zealand's connectivity. Datagrid also expects the route to improve latency for South Island users by as much as 45 percent compared with existing paths through the north.

OMS plans to use its long-range USV ELITE unmanned surface vessel for the route survey. The company says that approach will reduce fuel use and the survey's carbon footprint while collecting seabed data along the planned alignment.

The contract assigns the system's principal supply, survey and installation responsibilities to named vendors. It does not, however, establish a ready-for-service date in the announcement. The next material milestones will be completion of the marine survey, manufacturing progress and the start of installation across the Tasman Sea.

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