SpeedCast, a leading global satellite telecommunications service provider, today announced a further extension of its TIER 1 IP Backbone into Vanuatu. SpeedCast acquired significant fibre capacity on the new ICL-1 submarine cable, which will enable local service providers to supply high-speed connectivity across the island. This comes as the Pacific Island market is increasingly moving to fibre connectivity as demand grows for greater bandwidth, 3G services and superfast broadband.

The new service will provide high throughput IP capacity, peering, transit and backbone to numerous wholesale customers in Vanuatu on the newly built ICL-1 submarine cable.  Built, owned and operated by Interchange Cable Ltd, the cable runs from Fiji to Vanuatu. The cable provides additional capacity and speed for international traffic, making it a key infrastructural improvement that will aid Vanuatu both economically and socially.

“This is an exciting time for telecommunications within the Pacific Islands as the proliferation of new and more widely-affordable communication tools begin to reach the territory,” said Steffen Holzt, Sales Director for Pacific Islands at SpeedCast. “Vanuatu is now 49 milliseconds away from the major Internet peering points and is truly a member of the global Internet community. The new network will deliver high-speed fibre services throughout Vanuatu and we are honoured that our customers have entrusted us with their critical communication requirements.”

SpeedCast Pacific (formerly Pactel International) is committed to servicing its customers’ requirements for Internet, private networking and voice services and has made significant inroads within the Pacific region. SpeedCast already provides high-quality services to Fiji, Tonga and New Caledonia, which was one of the first adopters of a fibre network rollout in the territory.

Simon Fletcher, Managing Director of Interchange Cable Ltd added: “SpeedCast has been a valued supplier of Internet services to Vanuatu and its wholesale customers for the past decade so we are thrilled to have its support. Looking forward, we are excited about the possibility this opens up for the future of Interchange in the Pacific.”

The service is supported by 24/7 network monitoring and support from SpeedCast’s Network Operations Centre, and provides SpeedCast’s customers advanced reporting capabilities.