ADB inks financing package for Vanuatu-New Caledonia undersea cable

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Port Vila—The Asian Development Bank has signed a financing package with Prima Limited to support the design, build and installation of the 411-km. Tamtam submarine cable connecting Port Vila, Vanuatu, to Lifou, New Caledonia.

The project marks a major leap forward for Vanuatu, improving telecommunications services and strengthening natural hazard early warning systems through cutting-edge sensor technology.

“The Tamtam project in Vanuatu is a milestone as it is ADB’s first transaction under our new Wayfinder Program,” said Masato Kanda, ADB president. “It will ensure reliable internet connectivity while also improving disaster resilience, both of which are essential for ni-Vanuatu businesses and communities to prosper.”

The financing package consists of technical assistance, a $4.5 million loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources, and a reimbursable grant of up to $1.9 million from the private sector window of the bank’s Asian Development Fund.

ADB’s Wayfinder (Pacific) Program aims to accelerate private sector development across the Pacific using blended concessional finance to de-risk projects and attract investors.

The Tamtam cable will complement Vanuatu’s existing submarine fiber-optic cable connection with Fiji, ensuring no disruption in telecommunications services if one of the cables experiences an outage.

Scheduled to enter service in December 2027, the project will also generate local employment and build the capacity of female students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The new cable will be the first in the Pacific to use Science Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications technology.

SMART sensors will provide environmental monitoring and early warning data for natural hazards. They will also capture data on ocean temperatures, sea levels, and other climate-relevant measurements.

These data will be freely accessible to the scientific community and civil protection authorities in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. (ADB)

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