A proposed subsea internet cable that would be designed to connect Chile and Australia came closer this week with the appointment by the Chilean government of a partner in the project.
The Chilean government has selected a Singaporean cable company called H2, chaired by Remi Galasso who is also the chief executive of New Zealand-founded cable company Hawaiki, as its partner for the proposed Humboldt cable.
According to the stuff.co.nz website, Chilean government infrastructure fund Fondo de Infraestructura has said that the 14,810 kilometre cable would run between Valparaiso in Chile and Sydney, where it would connect with other cable systems to Asia.
It would include several branches to allow for the possible connection of other countries and territories, such as Juan Fernandez – also known as Robinson Crusoe Island – and Isla de Pascua (Easter Island), as well as New Zealand.
The cable, estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, could also potentially enable the first ultrafast broadband connection to Antarctica, which currently relies on satellite communications.
Fondo de Infraestructura has also said that Desarrollo Pais, a company majority-owned by the Chilean government, and H2 would jointly promote the Humboldt Cable and make the investment based on market response.
H2 had contracted Hawaiki to finalise the system design, launch the contracting process and contact potential key customers, it said.
Hawaiki is a 15,000 km telecommunication cable connecting 356 million consumers in Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Hawaii and continental United States. As well as its work on Humboldt, H2 is planning the first direct subsea cable between Sydney and Hong Kong.
