ITW 2024: BW Digital and Telin sign MOU to build subsea cable
BW Digital and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the joint development and construction of 14 the Hawaiki Nui 1 submarine cable system. Hawaiki Nui 1 is the first stage of BW Digital’s submarine cable development programme. With a design capacity of more than 240 Tbps, it will link Australia, Indonesia and Singapore, and include optional branches to the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste.
The cable is estimated to span 10,000km, and will create a new route northeast of Australia via the Torres Strait. Telin and BW Digital say this new route is more efficient and provides greater connectivity, diversity and security between Australasia and South-East Asia.
It will also provide the first direct cable link between Sydney and Darwin, and from Darwin to Singapore, with branches to Jakarta and Batam. Hawaiki Nui 1 builds on the existing Hawaiki cable system, which has linked Sydney, Auckland and the West Coast of the US since 2018
Under the partnership agreement, BW Digital and Telin will work together to develop, procure and build Hawaiki Nui 1, which is expected to be ready for service in 2027. Telin will also act as the Indonesian landing party for the cable.
Budi Satria Dharma Purba, CEO of Telin noted that the Asia Pacific region is experiencing a boom period in terms of data centre capacity deployed, and that Hawaiki Nui 1 is part of a plan to bridge the connectivity gap between data centres in key markets, such as Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Through our partnership with BW Digital and as part of our overall 7 systems of ICE subsea cable, we aim to bridge the connectivity gap between data centres across these nations and shape the future of the Asia Pacific Subsea
Hawaiki Nui 1 will also support the development of the Nongsa Digital Park in Batam, which is being developed under a partnership between BW Digital and Citramas 15 Group that was announced in March 2024. The park will host an 80MW data centre servicing businesses, governments and communities throughout the country and broader region.
