CHI

Overview

CHI is a domestic submarine cable system connecting two landing points within the United States. Spanning approximately 3,932 kilometers, it links the Hawaiian Islands to the continental United States, serving the trans-Pacific corridor between Hawaii and California. The cable is owned jointly by Hawaiian Telcom and Verizon.

Route and Landings

In Hawaii, the cable lands at Makaha on the island of Oahu. On the continental United States, it lands at Morro Bay, California. Both landing points are within the United States, making CHI a domestic inter-state submarine cable connecting the Pacific island state to the West Coast mainland.

Ownership and Operators

CHI is co-owned by Hawaiian Telcom and Verizon. Hawaiian Telcom is the primary fixed-line telecommunications provider serving the state of Hawaii. Verizon is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, with broad network infrastructure across the country.

Status and Timeline

CHI entered service in 2001. The cable currently operates as an active submarine link between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.

Regional Context

The Hawaii–California corridor hosts several submarine cable systems of varying scales. CHI, at 3,932 kilometers, is a relatively short system compared to trans-oceanic cables that also land in the United States, such as the Southern Cross Cable Network at 30,500 kilometers and the Asia-America Gateway Cable System at 20,000 kilometers. Within this context, CHI serves specifically as a domestic connection rather than an international or intercontinental route. The forthcoming Project Waterworth and the already-operating systems in this corridor illustrate the density of submarine infrastructure touching U.S. shores, within which CHI occupies a distinct role as a focused mainland-to-Hawaii link.

Strategic Role

By connecting Makaha, Hawaii, to Morro Bay, California, CHI provides a direct submarine pathway between the continental United States and the state of Hawaii. This connection supports telecommunications traffic between the Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. West Coast, complementing other cable systems that also terminate in the region. With two well-established owners holding infrastructure presence on both ends of the route, the cable serves as a dedicated domestic link across one of the more geographically isolated segments of the U.S. telecommunications network.