Google unveils plan to connect Guam, Fiji and French Polynesia
Google announced the Central Pacific Connect initiative, which introduces two new intra-Pacific cables from Guam to Fiji and French Polynesia, during a press conference Jan. 18. The initiative represents an investment of roughly $400 million to $700 million into the region, local officials said.
The initiative brings the number of Google cables publicly announced to 29, said Brian Quigley, vice president of Global Network Infrastructure, Google Cloud. The number of Google cables in the Pacific was not immediately available. Quigley was joined at the press conference by Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, and Matt Herman, Google consultant and former chief of staff to then-Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo during her tenure in Congress.
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero
The total cost of the investment could not yet be disclosed, Quigley said. In terms of timeline, the anticipated completion of the two cables is fourth quarter of 2026.
Melanie Mendiola, Guam Economic Development Authority, said this investment in the Pacific would roughly be $400 million to $700 million. That’s based on an industry estimates of $30,000 to $50,000 per kilometer, she said.
The initiative, a collaboration with Amalgamated Telecom Holdings, APTelecom, and Telstra, fuses culture and connectivity, according to Google.
Bulikula will connect Guam with Fiji and is the Fijian word for “golden cowrie,” a rare shell found in the Pacific Ocean often worn by local chieftains as a badge of rank, according to a press release. Halaihai, which will link Guam and French Polynesia, is named after a type of vine that grows on beaches. The word is often used in the Chamorro expression, “tilifón halaihai,” which refers to information spread from person to person, whether face-to-face, by phone, or over the internet.
Building upon the success of the South Pacific Connect initiative, this project aims to create a strategic ring between Guam, French Polynesia, and Fiji. The inclusion of pre-positioned branching units promises enhanced reliability and resilience for other Oceania nations.
The governor said that with Bulikula and Halaihai complementing Guam’s existing subsea cables, the initiative reinforces Guam's role as a digital communication hub in the Pacific.
“Beyond bridging the digital divide in our local community, this is Guam’s contribution — enabling new digital infrastructure such as subsea cables — to create and support connectivity between the northern and southern Pacific islands,” the governor said. “Our economic futures are all dependent on digital technology, and we welcome the Halaihai and the Bulikula subsea cables to uplift our people together.”
Guam’s Gov. Leon Guerrero added the initiative aligns seamlessly with Guam's commitment to narrowing the digital divide and fortifying its telecommunications infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Guam $156 million in Broadband Equity Access Deployment funding to increase residents' access to reliable high-speed internet, according to Journal files. BEAD is a five-year action plan to improve broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion on the island.
During the press conference, representatives agreed that the strategic collaboration between government support and private sector expertise addresses not only the digital divide but also promises economic opportunities, skill development, and enhanced public services in the region.
Leaders from partner organizations and nations also were quoted in a press release made public following the press conference.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, who also serves as the Minister for Communications for Fiji, said the central Pacific Connect initiative also aligns with Pacific leaders’ vision for 2050.
“The Bulikula and Halaihai subsea cables will underpin the Pacific Peoples digital interconnectedness and lead the way for economic transformation through digital connectivity,” Kamikamica said.
President Moetai Brotherson of French Polynesia said he appreciates Google’s effort to connect the countries of the Pacific.
“A world better connected is a better world,” Brotherson said.
Eric Handa, CEO of APTelecom echoed Brotherson’s statement, saying APTelecom’s aims to help increase the reliability and resilience of digital links in the Pacific.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Google, Telstra and our island partners, driving together to accelerate and consolidate the delivery of connectivity solutions that will reduce the digital divide,” Handa said.
Similarly, Roary Stasko, CEO of Telstra Int. said the partnership with Google “will significantly improve connectivity in the South Pacific.”
“Over several decades Telstra has established the largest carrier subsea cable network in APAC, and with our operational scale, we are looking forward to partnering with Google and APT to provide much needed redundancy and vital capacity to underserved island countries,” Stasko said.
Ivan Fong, CEO of Amalgamated Telecom Holdings, said they are excited to be investing in the Pacific Connect Initiative.
“This core infrastructure investment in the ring and branching units will enable fundamental changes to internet access for our operators in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu. Additionally it will allow us to offer trunk access to all of the Pacific Islands,” he said.
Minister Pat Conroy, Australia’s Ministry for International Development and the Pacific, said the initiative will “significantly boost internet connectivity in the Pacific.” It also will open new opportuties for trade, e-commerce and delivery of services by governments. mbj
