By Papua New Guinea Today
Samoa’s Government is in talks with its counterparts in Tahiti and American Samoa to increase Samoa’s internet capabilities.
Samoa is currently connected to the internet via satellite and the older American Samoa – Hawaii Cable System.
According to Samoa’s Minister for Communication Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupa’i this needs to improve to meet the growing demand for connectivity.
“Our active Samoa Submarine Cable company are also in talks with Tahiti for an additional connection from there as well,” he said.
The minister also indicated that Samoa will not only rely on the submarine cable project linked to the Southern Cross Cable in Fiji.
“It’s important to know that we aren’t going to wait around for the connection from Fiji to complete, which is by September this year. Complacency is the enemy here, when we know that this one submarine line isn’t enough to hold the standard we aim for,” Afamasaga said.
Samoa Submarine Cable Company Limited and Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks signed a contract to roll out a new submarine cable system named Tui-Samoa Cable.
The undersea cable will span more than 1,470 km, providing an advanced broadband highway.
Tui-Samoa Cable will have landing points in Apia, Tuasivi on Savaii Island and Suva, Fiji.
As for the project with American Samoa and Tahiti, the government of Samoa hopes it will be achieved by late 2018.
