The project was initially flagged in late 2021 and will provide connectivity between Valparaiso, Chile and Sydney, Australia where it will also interconnect with systems across Asia.
Branching stubs will allow for connection to other countries and territories, including Juan Fernandez and Easter Island as well as New Zealand.
“We have set an ambitious goal to transform Chile into a digital hub for Latin America,” said Patricio Rey Sommer, CEO of Desarrollo País.
“The project is entering its most challenging stage with the technical definition of the route and schedules for execution now being set, and we have asked that suppliers’ proposals be based on an ‘Open Cable System’ model”.
Humboldt will also include an almost 2,000km branching stub to Antarctica, coinciding with its increased efforts to improve the collection and sharing of research data.
The Cable will pave the way for the deployment of essential data centres, AI and other data-driven technologies to “help put Chile on the digital map”.
International Connectivity Services Ltd, the service company of the Hawaiki Group will finalise the system design of the Humboldt Cable, launch the procurement process and engage with potential anchor customers.
“We look forward to working with Desarrollo Pais to realise what will become an absolutely critical piece of digital infrastructure for South America, providing unprecedented scale and quality of connectivity with the Asia Pacific and Oceania,” said Remi Galasso, CEO of BW Digital, which owns Hawaiki Group.
