A 411-kilometer submarine cable project has just been officially launched between New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Named Tamtam, it aims to strengthen digital infrastructure in the region while integrating a unique scientific dimension through onboard sensors.
Originally led by a majority state-owned company in Vanuatu, the project aims to secure access to high-speed internet on the island of Efate and extend it to Tanna, Malekula, and Santo. On the New Caledonian side, the company Pacific Peering is managing the technical deployment. The cable will be equipped with sensors capable of collecting data on water temperature and pressure, underwater movements, and even landslides and tsunamis.
Strategic and scientific equipment
The route includes a passage through the New Hebrides Fault, at depths of between 6,000 and 7,000 meters, an area difficult to access using conventional exploration methods. According to its developers, Tamtam is one of the world's first so-called "smart" cables, capable of providing usable data for research, particularly on seismic activity and the effects of climate change.
For New Caledonia, this new link also provides an additional safeguard in case of an incident on its two existing cables, Gondwana 1 to Australia and Gondwana 2 to Fiji. Local authorities also see it as an opportunity to position the territory as a digital hub in Melanesia, given that regional data flows currently transit primarily through Fiji. Internet access is slated to be operational by early 2028, while scientific data should be made available the following year.
