Steve Brock, Ocean Networks Hawaii project manager, is pictured here talking to a crowd at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center during a presentation on the Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link project Tuesday night. The Maui News/Megan Moseley

Construction of a submarine optical fiber cable system aimed at improving high-speed broadband internet throughout the state may start construction on Maui in the near future.

The cable is part of a new $120 million public-private partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi and Ocean Networks Inc. called “Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link.” It was the topic of conversation during a public meeting Tuesday night at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The project is a component of Connect Kākou, the state’s broadband initiative and a priority for Gov. Josh Green’s administration. Connect Kākou hopes to bridge the digital divide and, once built, will be open to all carriers to support a variety of telecommunications and enterprise traffic, including anticipated future high-capacity demands supporting health care, education, research, public service, commerce and government uses.

A portion of the network will also be dedicated to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands for beneficiary use.

Representatives from the UH and Ocean Networks Inc. provided presentations on the scope of the project and discussed how the effort will be constructed on Maui and the surrounding islands.

Ocean Networks Inc. is responsible for the supply, construction, operations and maintenance of the inter-island cable system. The project is being partially funded through a federal grant, and the remaining funds will be secured through private equity and secured debt, representatives said.

According to the presentation, there will be cable landing facilities on Maui that will include a seaward facing underground bore pipe or conduit, beach manhole and terrestrial conduit.

The subsea cable will be spliced to the terrestrial fiber optical cable and stored within the beach manhole, and a subsea cable, the beach manhole and terrestrial conduit will remain underground and not visible.

The Maui construction duration is expected to be around 70 to 90 days for the seaward underground bore pipe, one day for the beach manhole, around 10-15 days for the terrestrial conduit and about four to six days for a cable station building.

Among the presenters was Cliff Miyake, chief strategy officer for Ocean Networks. He said the project is important to keep Hawai’i systems up-to-date.

“It’s needed because the existing systems are old,” he said.

Upcountry councilwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura was also in the audience and said she was present to learn more about the project.

“I came because this item is an item in my committee and every step forward means our community comes stronger and more resilient by having access,” she said.

Sugimura is the vice chair of the Maui County Council and the chair of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee.

The system will have 24 fiber pairs with a design life of 25 years and is expected to be ready for service in late 2026.

The project still has to undergo the permitting process and is conducting an environmental assessment.

The subsea cable will be approximately 400 miles in total and have a capability to transmit over 140 million photos or 138,000 two-hour movies per second.

The University of Hawaiʻi is partnering with Ocean Networks, Inc. on a $120 million, public-private partnership aimed at constructing a submarine optical fiber cable system throughout the Hawaiian Islands that will hopes to expand high-speed broadband internet throughout the state. Courtesy photo