Page 33 - IB May 2024

Telecom Feature Telecom Feature

This was the case in Solomon Islands last May, after a fishing Dr Watson noted the paper, saying: “If the Australian model
vessel anchor damaged a undersea domestic cable which left of setting up exclusion zones where people cannot fish or
most towns, including Honiara without internet access for operate vessels could perhaps be applied elsewhere, it may
several weeks. be able to help with reducing some of these impacts of the
Japanese Professor at Keio University, Motohiro Tsuchiya, ship anchors and so on.”
who was also part of the webinar, reiterated this concern, Recently, the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company
saying most undersea cables are damaged due to fishing nets (PCRIC) and Papua New Guinea DataCo signed a parametric
and ship anchors. insurance policy to enable faster payouts after natural
“It's happening in the East China Sea and South China Sea. disasters that may damage the undersea fibre optic cable
Those areas [have] frequent incidents of cable destruction,” network in the country.
said Tsuchiya. According to PNG DataCo’s official website, the company
The Professor is also concerned about undersea cables along operates and manages over 7000 kilometres of fibre optic
the Strait of Malacca, a crucial maritime route that connects network comprising submarine cables (Coral Sea Cable, Kumul
the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Submarine Cable, and others).
“If you fly over the strait, there's lots of tankers and ships Chief Executive Officer, Paul Komboi said the Pacific was
on the sea but at the bottom of the sea, there are too many prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and there was
cables. So, if somebody blows [up] this strait, we cannot a need to protect the submarine fibre optic cable network in
use the port, we cannot use the sea lane, we cannot use the PNG waters.
communication infrastructure, that would be a big disaster. PCRIC Chief Executive Officer, Aholotu Palu said this was the
Probably, I'm worrying too much, but I'm always thinking about first type of policy signed with a Pacific Island nation.
those things,” said Tsuchiya. “Such coverage marks a significant turning point in the
A paper published by undersea cable experts, Samuel development of our capability to provide non-sovereign
Bashfield and Anthony Bergen in 2022, argued that Australia insurance products to state-owned entities in the Pacific
and other countries should assist less-developed countries in Islands region,” said Palu.
implementing cable protection zones.

HIBBARD
CONSULTING Pty Ltd

Need some expert advice or support
for your telecommunications network —
contact us!

Specializing in strategic and commercial
aspects associated with the development
and/or implementation of submarine cable
projects around the Pacific!

CONTACT:
John: jhibbard@bigpond.com
Paul: paul@mccann-consulting.net

Islands Business, May 2024 33