The Manatua Consortium is coordinating a regional response after a technical fault on the Manatua submarine cable disrupted internet services in parts of the Pacific, with repair work now dependent on securing a specialist cable repair vessel.
The fault occurred about 144 kilometres offshore from Samoa and has resulted in degraded internet services, particularly affecting users in Niue and the Cook Islands.
Initial diagnostic tests identified an electrical shunt near Repeater 2, an undersea component that maintains the strength of the optical signal along the 3,600-kilometre fibre-optic cable linking Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.
The Consortium said current assessments indicate the problem is related to the cable system’s submerged equipment and not external physical damage such as seismic activity or an anchor strike.
A permanent repair will require the mobilisation of a specialist submarine cable repair vessel, with Consortium partners working together to secure the vessel and technical crew needed to complete the repairs.
Telecommunications providers in Niue and the Cook Islands have activated contingency arrangements to maintain services. However, customers may experience reduced internet capacity, slower speeds and other service disruptions until repairs are completed.
The Consortium said the level of disruption may vary between providers and advised customers to contact their local telecommunications companies for updates on network performance.
The Manatua Cable was deployed in 2019 and is the first and only submarine internet cable providing a direct connection between Niue and the Cook Islands. The regional project was launched following the signing of an international treaty in April 2017 by the leaders of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Niue.
The Manatua Consortium comprises Office des Postes et Télécommunications of French Polynesia, Avaroa Cable Limited of the Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited and the Samoa Submarine Cable Company.
The Consortium said all four partners remain committed to restoring the cable safely and as quickly as possible, with further updates to be provided as technical assessments and repair arrangements progress.
Samoa Submarine Cable Company Chief Executive Pepe Christian Fruean said the repair effort reflects the same regional cooperation that established the cable.
“The Manatua cable represents an important connection between our four Pacific nations, and we are responding to this fault in the same spirit of cooperation in which the cable was established. Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia are working as one Consortium to secure the specialist vessel and technical support needed to restore the cable safely and as quickly as practicable for all our impacted users,” he said.
