Atisa

Overview

Atisa is a regional submarine cable system connecting Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands across a total length of 279 km. The cable serves the short inter-island corridor between these two United States territories in the western Pacific, providing direct connectivity between Guam and multiple landing points in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Route and Landings

In Guam, the cable lands at Piti. In the Northern Mariana Islands, the cable reaches three landing points: San Jose, Sasanlagu, and Sugar Dock in Saipan. These four landings distribute connectivity across different locations within the Northern Mariana Islands archipelago.

Ownership and Operators

Atisa is owned by Docomo Pacific, the Guam- and Northern Mariana Islands-based telecommunications subsidiary operating in the western Pacific region.

Technical Profile

The Atisa cable system spans 279 km, making it a comparatively short system within the broader set of cables touching this corridor. Its length reflects the relatively close proximity of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Status and Timeline

Atisa entered service in 2017 and has been operational for approximately nine years. The system currently connects Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and continues to serve the inter-island corridor.

Regional Context

Guam is a well-established hub for submarine cable infrastructure in the western Pacific, with numerous cable systems of considerably greater length also landing there. Atisa is shorter than the large majority of cables in this corridor — longer than only around 6% of the other cables touching the same countries — reflecting its focused, short-haul inter-island purpose rather than long-distance transoceanic reach. Several cables sharing this corridor, including Bulikula and Halaihai, specifically connect Guam with the Northern Mariana Islands as Atisa does, though those systems are planned for service in 2026 and 2027 respectively and operate at intercontinental scale. Performance measurements over the last 60 days show an average round-trip latency of 103.8 ms across 42 ping tests, with the best recorded result at 8.2 ms.

Strategic Role

Atisa provides direct submarine cable connectivity between Guam and three geographically distributed landing sites in the Northern Mariana Islands. By serving multiple landings within the Northern Mariana Islands — at San Jose, Sasanlagu, and Sugar Dock in Saipan — the system extends reach across the territory rather than concentrating access at a single point. Within a corridor where most cables are oriented toward long-distance transoceanic routes, Atisa fulfills a distinct role as a short regional link between two closely situated Pacific island territories.