Ile de Re Makes Auckland Pit Stop Prior to TGA Cable Ops

Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks’ (part of Nokia) specialised subsea cable ship ‘Ile de Re’ has arrived in Auckland, en route to the middle of the Tasman Sea where it will continue laying the final section of the Tasman Global Access (TGA) subsea cable.

Telecommunications companies Spark, Vodafone and Telstra are investing approximately $100 million to build the TGA cable, which will stretch 2300km from Ngarunui Beach in Raglan, to Narrabeen Beach in Australia.

Upon completion, the TGA cable should significantly improve New Zealand’s international broadband connectivity.

Other benefits include strengthening links into fast-growing Asian markets, providing important redundancy and resiliency, and better connecting with the five main international cable systems currently serving Australia.

Vodafone wholesale director, Steve Rieger, said: “The Ile De Re is responsible for building or maintaining more than 50,000km of submarine cable systems throughout the South Pacific – it is a very impressive vessel that is capable of some remarkable feats of engineering.

“Upon completion, the TGA will deliver significant benefits to New Zealand – so it’s exciting to take a closer look at the vessel to understand how these crucial international connections are made possible.” 

Weighing in at 5,378 tonnes, and more than 140 metres in length, the Ile De Re is scheduled to make its way back to the middle of the Tasman Sea on Thursday, to lay the final stretch of cable and connect it to the Raglan shore landing.