New int'l cable to boost New Zealand Internet links with Asia

New Zealand's second major Internet cable to the outside world went live Thursday with the promise of better connectivity with Asia.

The Tasman Global Access (TGA) cable, a joint project by telecommunications firms Spark, Vodafone and Telstra, stretches 2,288 kilometers from Raglan, on the west of the North Island, to Sydney, Australia.

The three companies said in a joint statement they had invested about 100 million NZ dollars (70.17 million U.S. dollars) to build the TGA cable, which would deliver more international bandwidth and capacity.

The cable also served as an important digital link to fast-growing Asian economic markets by enabling better connectivity to the five major international cable systems currently serving Australia.

"This important piece of infrastructure will significantly improve connectivity between Australia and New Zealand, in addition to strengthening New Zealand's links with Asia," Telstra executive director of international operations and services Darrin Webb said in the statement.

Communications Minister Simon Bridges said the TGA cable would also enhance New Zealand's telecommunications resilience.

The new cable would provide an alternative to the trans-Tasman section of the Southern Cross Cable, the main international cable that currently carried the majority of Internet traffic to and from New Zealand, Bridges said in a statement.

"Given New Zealand's geographic isolation, international connectivity is crucial for growing our economy and for helping us capitalize on opportunities," Bridges said.

"This cable is another step towards ensuring we've got affordable and robust connections with the rest of the world. It also ensures that domestic demands for data are supported by international capacity, setting us up for the future."

A third major cable project, the Hawaiki cable, was due to be completed next year. Endit