H2 Cable LP is a subsidiary of BW and will work with state-owned Desarrollo Pais to develop and promote the Humboldt Cable System and make the required investment to build and operate it.
The project is expected to span 14,810km and will provide end-to-end connectivity between Valparaiso, Chile and Sydney, Australia.
It will also interconnect with systems to Asia and will include several branches for the potential connection of other countries and territories such as Juan Fernandez and Easter Island as well as New Zealand.
Patricio A. Rey Sommer, director-general of Desarrollo País, said: “Today we are taking a fundamental step forward in this project, which is so important for our country.
“We have decidedly entered the execution stage of the Humboldt Cable by selecting the high-level strategic partner that will join us in the development of this infrastructure that will put Chile at the forefront of digital connectivity worldwide.
“We are convinced of the enormous technical capacities of the partner we have chosen, which will allow us to carry out this project with high technical standards while protecting the interests of our country”.
The Chilean government initially contemplated building a cable between South America and Asia with Chinese support, but those plans were shelved amid pressure from the US.
Chile’s telecoms and transport minister Gloria Hutt said that the cable is one of Chile’s most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades.
