For French Polynesia and other similar small island developing states, connectivity has always been a challenge. With a small national telecommunications market, there is limited capacity to cover the operating expenditure for extensive cable systems across the archipelago.
Fortunately, four new cables landing on the shores of French Polynesia will help to provide the additional bandwidth capacity needed to bridge the digital divide and ensure that the country continues to meet its increasing demand for bandwidth. These include Humboldt, a subsea cable route linking Chile, French Polynesia, and Australia—the first ever to directly connect South America and Asia-Pacific; Bulikula and Halaihai, two subsea cables that are part of the central Pacific Connect initiative connecting Guam, French Polynesia, and Fiji; and lastly, Honomoana, a cable that connects the United States and Australia to French Polynesia as part of the South Pacific Connect initiative.
Our study found that this improved digital connectivity can enable new economic and social opportunities for French Polynesia. These include: unlocking economic growth by supporting economic diversification and the growth of the digital economy; and achieving social policy objectives like reducing the digital divide, supporting skill development, as well as enhancing healthcare quality and access.
New subsea cable infrastructure also creates market effects that boost economic output through increased internet usage. By 2030, new cable infrastructure is projected to boost annual economic output by a cumulative total of USD 493 million over five years and support over 2,200 jobs economy-wide.
To learn more about how subsea cable infrastructure is supporting growth and innovation in French Polynesia, explore our report via the links below.
