Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
August 21, 2025
Hawaii's Digital Future: Major Fiber Link Project Advances with Global Partners
TLDR
- Ocean Networks gains a strategic advantage by partnering with Prysmian and IT to deploy advanced submarine cable infrastructure, enhancing Hawaiʻi's digital competitiveness.
- Prysmian supplies 740 km of submarine cable while IT provides engineering and installation services for the HIFL project's 24 fiber pair system with 25-year design life.
- This project improves high-speed broadband access across Hawaiʻi, creating equitable digital opportunities for residents, businesses, education, and government entities statewide.
- The Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link will connect six islands with low-latency fiber optics, ready for service in late 2026 through innovative submarine cable technology.
Impact - Why it Matters
This project addresses critical infrastructure gaps that have long plagued Hawaii's digital connectivity, where geographical isolation has historically resulted in higher internet costs, slower speeds, and limited reliability compared to mainland standards. For residents, improved broadband access means better opportunities for remote work, enhanced educational resources, and improved access to telehealth services. For businesses, it supports economic growth, enables competitive operations, and attracts digital industries to the islands. The carrier-neutral, open-access design ensures multiple service providers can utilize the infrastructure, promoting competition and potentially lowering costs for consumers while future-proofing Hawaii's digital economy for decades to come.
Summary
Ocean Networks, Inc., a leading telecom development company, has announced major progress in its Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link (HIFL) project by selecting global cable solutions provider Prysmian and submarine cable engineering specialist International Telecom Inc. (IT) as key partners. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in Hawaiʻi's broadband infrastructure development, with Prysmian supplying approximately 740 kilometers of state-of-the-art submarine cable and IT providing essential engineering and installation services for the inter-island fiber system.
The HIFL project, a cornerstone of Hawaiʻi's "Connect Kākou" broadband initiative, aims to create an open-access, carrier-neutral fiber network that will dramatically improve high-speed internet connectivity across all major Hawaiian islands. Ocean Networks' Chief Operating Officer David Blau emphasized that securing these contracts with industry leaders marks a major milestone in the construction timeline, bringing the project closer to delivering enhanced connectivity for residents, businesses, educational institutions, and government entities throughout the state.
Prysmian's Submarine Telecom Business Director Davide Taddei highlighted the company's commitment to delivering secure, resilient digital infrastructure that supports enhanced digital security and data integrity, while IT's Vice President Steve Arsenault emphasized their pride in contributing to Hawaiʻi's telecommunications strengthening. The system, featuring 24 fiber pairs with a 25-year design life and expected completion by late 2026, represents a transformative investment in Pacific connectivity that combines federal funding through the U.S. Treasury's Capital Projects Fund with private investment secured by Ocean Networks.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, Hawaii's Digital Future: Major Fiber Link Project Advances with Global Partners
