Ile de Re to roll-out Fiji-Tonga fibre-optic cable

The MV Ile de Re, Alcatel Lucent’s cable ship, is ready to roll out the 850km Tonga-Fiji fibre optical submarine cable system.

The undersea cable connects Tonga with Fiji, providing the 100,000 Tongan residents with broadband services such as streaming video and high-speed Internet access.

Robert Bolouri, Managing Director of Tonga Cable Limited said: “This cable link with Fiji will create a gateway to the global economy and community, and we are confident that it will provide great benefits to Tonga’s citizens and the many visitors we welcome each year. With the help of Alcatel-Lucent, we will be able to bring a much broader range of communications services to people throughout the country”.

Philippe Dumont, President of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks said: “We are pleased to be able to play a role in strengthening Tonga’s connections with the rest of the world.  This new link will further expand connectivity throughout the Pacific Islands to drive digital inclusion.”

The project is being funded through grants of US $34 million, including $17.2 million from the World Bank, $9.7 million from ADB and a $6.6 million investment from Tonga Communications Corporation.

The installation mission will start shortly and it is expected to take about a week.

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