Hawaiki secures US landing site; signs CoastCom and Tillamook Lightwave for infrastructure and backhaul

Auckland, 18 November 2013 - Hawaiki Cable Limited – the New Zealand owner and developer of Hawaiki submarine cable system – will land its proposed 14,000 km trans-Pacific cable in Oregon, USA.

The company today signed turnkey contracts with US providers Tillamook Lightwave and CoastCom for key infrastructure and connectivity, including a cable landing station, terrestrial infrastructure, and a new fibre backhaul network that will connect the cable landing station to the city of Hillsboro, near Portland.

Rémi Galasso, Chief Executive Officer of Hawaiki Cable Limited, said Hillsboro is a major point of presence on the US West Coast and presented the best opportunity to interconnect with US carriers.

“Oregon is the best state on the US West Coast to land a submarine fibre optic cable. The coast is relatively safe and the State permitting process is shorter. Our customers tell us that they like Oregon’s diversity and easy access to US networks and data centres,” said Galasso.

Hawaiki’s cable system, scheduled for completion in late 2015, will link Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii to the US West Coast.

Tillamook Lightwave – an Oregon Intergovernmental Agency – will host the Hawaiki cable system in its Pacific City landing station, and provide terrestrial infrastructure, including conduit from the beach manhole to the landing station.

CoastCom – a privately held Oregon Competitive Local Exchange Carrier – will supply and install a brand new fibre optic backhaul network that connects the cable landing station with networks in Hillsboro.

Both contracts cover the 25-year life of the cable.

“One of the greatest challenges facing trans-Pacific cable developers is securing a US landing point and associated backhaul,” said Galasso. “So we’re delighted to reach this critical project milestone and sign contracts with Tillamook Lightwave and CoastCom. Both providers are intimate with local regulatory processes and possess expertise that will smooth system deployment.”

Paul Levesque, President of Tillamook Lightwave said: “This agreement is another significant milestone for Tillamook Lightwave. We welcome Hawaiki to Pacific City, demonstrating once again the community’s capacity to accommodate business interests ranging from individual entrepreneurs to international companies.”

Greg Palser, President of CoastCom said: “We are very pleased that Hawaiki has chosen to land its submarine cable in Pacific City, Oregon. Dependable, diverse terrestrial fibre routes that traverse coastal and metro areas are critical for submarine cable system developers. We are delighted that Hawaiki has chosen CoastCom and look forward to a long and successful working relationship.”

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