Digicel Nauru was privileged to attend the Ceremonial Buoy event last Saturday, 11th August, to officially mark the landing of the East Micronesian Cable on the shores of Nauru. This is an important milestone in the nation’s connectivity journey, as the submarine fibre cable promises to deliver a speedier, more robust, and highly dependable communications link for the people of Nauru.

Digicel Nauru CEO, Christopher Manaog, attended the event hosted by His Excellency, Acting President, Jesse Jeremiah. Also in attendance were the Minister for Telecommunications, Shadlog Bernicke, Acting Australian High Commissioner, Stephen Close, Japanese Ambassador, Rokuichiro Michii, and other senior government and embassy officials.

Christopher said; “For many years, Digicel Nauru has been committed to connecting our communities. Much of that connection relied on satellite technology, a solution that served us well, but one that’s vulnerable to disruptions, especially during heavy rain. Now, with the landing of the East Micronesia Cable, we’re entering a new chapter. This submarine fibre cable is free from weather-related disruptions. In getting access to the cable, it elevates Digicel Nauru’s network backbone on par with the leading international networks. Briefly, a bigger, better link is coming to Nauru.”

Nauru’s installation of the cable is a critical part of the overall East Micronesian Cable system. With installations already in Nauru and Kiribati, the system will be extended in its last phase to Kosrae and Pohnpei. After the successful installation and commissioning, the cable is expected to be activated before the end of 2025.

“This isn’t just about faster internet access. It’s about enabling our children, helping our families, driving the economy and creating a way for a better digital future in Nauru. Digicel Nauru will be outlining during the next few months what this new submarine cable means for our customers, how it works, how it helps, and how Digicel Nauru is paving the way to get you ready for this real game-changer in technology,” added Christopher.

Digicel Nauru would like to thank the Government of Nauru and the Government’s funding partners, Australia, Japan and the USA, for facilitating the completion of the $135m East Micronesian Cable project.