Avaroa Cable Shortlisted for Two Global Telecommunications Industry Awards.
- Pacific’s newest international operator punches above its weight on international stage -
- Scale, ambition and execution of Manatua Cable project recognised as world class by panels of industry experts -
- Focus and dedication of local team highlighted by ACL’s Chair of the Board -
RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020: Avaroa Cable Ltd, the government owned company responsible for the Cook Islands involvement in the Manatua One Polynesia Cable Project, announced today that it has been shortlisted for two prestigious global telecommunications industry awards.
The announcement follows the completion of the Manatua One Polynesia cable in July. Last month also saw the start-up network operator announce the first customers connected via the cable, on Aitutaki. This marked the first use of the high-speed fibre optic cable among the four nations that have collaborated on the Manatua Project.
And just last week ACL added the first international fibre cable connectivity to the Cook Islands via Tahiti to major internet hub Los Angeles, USA in a move widely seen as a major landmark in the nation’s development. The company only appointed its first employee, Chief Executive Officer Dr Ranulf Scarbrough, less than two years ago.
The Global Carrier Awards 2020, hosted by influential London based telecommunications industry commentators Capacity Media, sees ACL shortlisted alongside some of the world’s largest telecommunications companies including industry heavyweights Verizon, China Mobile, NTT and Deutsche Telekom.
The award is judged by a panel of over 20 respected telecommunications industry experts from around the world.
Due to the global virus pandemic, the awards ceremony announcing the winners, which is normally held in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Hotel in London, will be a virtual event in October.
The Broadband World Forum, the annual conference of the leading players in the global telecommunications and broadband market, has also shortlisted ACL for its annual awards due to take place in Amsterdam in November. The conference of over 4,000 of the most influential people in the global telecommunications and broadband industry is seen as the most authoritative industry event of the year.
Tatiana Burn, Chair of Avaroa Cable Ltd’s Board of Directors said:
“The shortlisting of Avaroa Cable Ltd in these two globally recognised telecommunications awards is testament to the outstanding quality, focus and determination of the ACL team, especially through such incredibly turbulent times. Building, and now operating, this critical new infrastructure for the nation, through the Manatua Cable, is a huge responsibility and it’s great to see this recognition of the professionalism and excellence with which the whole team have set about our mission.”
Dr Ranulf Scarbrough, Chief Executive Officer Avaroa Cable Ltd said:
“As a new telecommunications operator in such a remote and challenging location, it is fantastic even to make the shortlist for such prestigious awards and alongside so many respected organisations. This recognises how the team at ACL has, from a standing start, tackled the formidable task of bringing submarine fibre connectivity to the Cook Islands in incredibly tight timescales, against a backdrop of the ongoing global crisis and in a ground-breaking collaboration with our partners in the Manatua One Polynesia cable project. To be shortlisted for one of these makes me very proud of the great team we have at ACL. But two, its incredible ! I wish all the award entrants the very best of luck.”
Media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpFjqxbmZBI
Details: Short film (50 secs) of Avaroa Cable Ltd
Further information
Enquiries about this news release should be made to Rebecca Tavioni on +682–56621 or rebecca.tavioni@avaroacable.com.
About Avaroa Cable Ltd
ACL is the Pacific’s newest international fibre operator providing wholesale connectivity services in the Cook Islands. ACL is a crown corporate entity (CCE) and manages the Cook Islands involvement in the Manatua Cable project and its commercialisation as an international and domestic wholesale operator. ACL has been established, and the independent board which oversees it is appointed by, the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, which is the government body responsible for crown corporate entities and state-owned enterprises. ACL’s board is chaired by local business woman Tatiana Burn. Funding has been provided by the Cook Islands Government, the New Zealand Aid Programme and the Asian Development Bank. (www.avaroacable.com)
About Capacity Media and the Global Carrier Awards
Founded in 2000, Capacity Media is an essential source of news and events in today’s telecommunications wholesale carrier and service provider marketplace and focuses on the critical business issues that carriers face in the rapidly changing telecoms market. Through its portfolio of Capacity magazine and 24 large scale global events including Capacity Europe, International Telecoms Week (ITW), the Global Carrier Awards as well as networking receptions, carrier directories and an online news source, Capacity Media has become a vital source of business intelligence for the global carrier industry. (www.capacitymedia.com)
About the World Broadband Forum Awards
Broadband World Forum provides the global broadband ecosystem with an annual platform to innovate, collaborate and learn about trends and future technologies, and unifies leaders from telcos and solutions providers to upgrade, future proof and monetize next generation networks. Broadband World Forum is the place where senior industry leaders gather to get updates, meet new and existing partners, keep pace with tech trends, and find solutions to their biggest challenges. The exhibition buzzes with the latest network tech, an agenda packed with relevant content and hosts an unrivalled guest list of over 4,100 professionals who deem this the most important event for the global broadband industry. (www.tmt.knect365.com/bbwf/)
About the Manatua — One Polynesia Cable
The Manatua cable is 3600km long connecting Samoa, Niue, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Tahiti and Bora. The cable is capable of operating at up to 10 tera bits per second (= 10,000,000 megabits per second) using state-of-the-art fibre optic technology, enough speed to download 300 high definition movies every single second. The Manatua One Polynesia Cable was declared ready for service on 22 July 2020.
About the Manatua Cable Consortium
The ground-breaking Manatua cable consortium was formed following the signing of an International Treaty in November 2018 between the governments of the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and French Polynesia. The purpose of the consortium is to build and operate the Manatua cable. The consortium comprises Avaroa Cable Ltd (for the Cook Islands), Niue Telecom, the Samoa Submarine Cable Company and Office de Poste et Telecommunications (for French Polynesia). It is the first consortium of its type anywhere in the Pacific.
About the New Zealand Aid Programme
The Cook Islands involvement in the Manatua Cable project has been part funded with NZ$15m of grant funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme. (www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development)
About the Asian Development Bank
The Cook Islands involvement in the Manatua Cable project has been part funded with US$15m of loan funding from the Asian Development Bank.
(www.adb.org)
