The Hawaiki cable - a keystone for the Northland economy - which landed at Mangawhai Heads in February is open for business.
The Hawaiki cable - a keystone for the Northland economy - which landed at Mangawhai Heads in February is open for business.
A 15,000km long fibre optic cable that landed at Mangawhai Heads in February is open for business, vastly improving the region's and country's digital capacity.
The Hawaiki Cable, which links New Zealand from Mangawhai, Northland, to Australia, the Pacific and United States, began operating on Friday.
The US$300 million Hawaiki Submarine Cable System represents a new dawn for digital communications in the region, delivering 43 terabits of additional capacity - several times the current levels of Australia and New Zealand combined - on a fully diverse subsea route.
"This 25-year transoceanic infrastructure opens the door for unprecedented levels of economic, social and research collaboration right across the Pacific," Hawaiki chief executive, Remi Galasso said.
"Hawaiki is the fastest and largest cross-sectional capacity link between the US, Australia and New Zealand. It will significantly enhance our connectivity to the rest of the world and, ultimately, improve the everyday lives of our communities."
Northland Inc chief executive Dr David Wilson said the milestone has been "highly anticipated", and will provide global digital connectivity, greater digital diversity, capacity and security to New Zealand than ever before.
"This is an incredibly significant achievement, and Northland Inc congratulates Hawaiki chief executive officer Remi Galasso and his entire team," Wilson said.
The cable is a headline project on the Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan, which brings into focus a group of projects that together are designed to transform Northland's economy.
Wilson said it was satisfying to have been involved with the Hawaiki project from the beginning.
"It was just over five years ago when Remi and his team visited Northland to see if there was an opportunity to raise investment for an international submarine cable running from Portland, Oregon, to Sydney via Hawaii, Samoa and New Zealand," he said.
Hawaiki chief executive Remi Galasso, Communications Minister Amy Adams, Prime Minister John Key, investor Malcolm Dick, Hawaiki chairman Sir Eion Edgar and Te Uri o Hau trustee Russell Kemp.
"Northland Inc and some local businesspeople became involved. Along the way the Northland Regional Council, Whangārei District Council, Kaipara District Council, Patuharakeke, Te Uri a Hau, Ngati Whatua and Ngatiwai, central government agencies MBIE, Crown Fibre and NZTE, local businesses, developers, contractors and investors, and politicians from all parts of the political spectrum, contributed to making it happen.
"The cable is a game changer. The bandwidth and speed at which data can now potentially move will open up significant opportunities for the development of the Northland economy, but will also have benefits for the environment, education, health and social well-being."
