PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has described the SBD 572 million Adamasia submarine cable project as a transformative investment for the country’s digital future.
The Australian Government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, announced the major new investment to strengthen digital connectivity and resilience in the Pacific during the 14th Australia–Solomon Islands Business Forum held in Brisbane from 17–19 November.
Speaking during a press conference recently, Prime Minister Manele said the Adamasia Cable will become the Solomon Islands’ second international internet link, providing a secure backup to the existing system and ensuring continuity in the event of disruptions.
“This project will improve connectivity across the country, strengthen economic foundations, and enhance national resilience in the digital era,” Prime Minister Manele said.
Key benefits of the project include:
- Connectivity boost: Faster and more reliable internet access across provinces.
- Resilience: Redundant capacity to safeguard against outages affecting government services, businesses and communities.
- Economic growth: Infrastructure to attract investment, support e-commerce, and enable Solomon Islands to participate more fully in global markets.
- Security & climate readiness: Improved digital resilience, now recognised alongside health and policing as essential to national preparedness.
PM Manele said the Adamasia project aligns with the government’s broader agenda to accelerate economic transformation, as reflected in the 2026 Appropriations Bill 2025. With digital connectivity now acknowledged as a key driver of sustainable growth, he encouraged citizens and institutions to embrace the opportunities that the new system will bring.
“This investment is not just about technology,” he said. “It is about empowering our people, ensuring our economy can thrive, and securing our place in the digital future.”
The Solomon Islands’ first submarine cable, the Coral Sea Cable, was also funded by the Australian Government and served as a major upgrade to connectivity for both the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
The Adamasia Cable will provide vital redundancy and strengthen the resilience of the country’s international fibre-optic network. The project will be delivered in partnership between the Solomon Islands Government, the Solomon Islands Submarine Cable Company, and the Australian Government through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).
The investment — valued at more than AUD 100 million — will interconnect the Adamasia Cable with the Bulikula system, part of Google’s Pacific Connect initiative linking Guam to Fiji. This ensures the Solomon Islands can maintain international connectivity even if one cable is damaged.
The secure, high-capacity system is expected to unlock new economic opportunities and support digital empowerment, improving access to services in government, education, health and tourism, while opening up global information and commercial opportunities for Solomon Islanders. It will also bolster the country’s telecommunications resilience to natural disasters and severe weather events.
The Adamasia Cable is among several major AIFFP-supported investments in the Solomon Islands, including the Tina River Hydropower Transmission System, the Tulagi Shipyard Rehabilitation, and five off-grid renewable energy projects under the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared commitment to delivering climate-resilient infrastructure that supports communities, drives national development, and strengthens regional connectivity.
By ANDRIANAH DELASALET KOLE
Solomon Star, Honiara
