Hawaii Island Fibre Network (HIFN)

Overview

The Hawaii Island Fibre Network (HIFN) is a domestic submarine cable system operating entirely within the Hawaiian Islands, connecting multiple island communities across the Hawaiian archipelago. Spanning 529 kilometres, it serves an intra-island corridor linking landing points on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai, all within the United States.

Route and Landings

All seven landing points are located in Hawaii, United States. On the island of Oahu, the cable lands at Koko Head and Makaha. On Maui, it comes ashore at Kihei. The Big Island of Hawaii is served by a landing at Kawaihae. The island of Kauai is connected through Lihue. Lanai is reached at Manele Bay, and Molokai is served by a landing at Kaunakakai.

Ownership and Operators

HIFN is owned jointly by Hawaiian Telcom and Lumen. Hawaiian Telcom is the primary telecommunications provider serving the Hawaiian Islands. Lumen, formerly known as CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications, is a major US-based network and communications company with extensive domestic infrastructure.

Status and Timeline

The Hawaii Island Fibre Network became ready for service in 1997 and continues to operate as an active cable system connecting the Hawaiian island communities it serves.

Regional Context

Within the broader context of submarine cables touching the United States, HIFN is a compact, domestically focused system. At 529 km, it is considerably shorter than the intercontinental cables operating in the same national territory, such as the Southern Cross Cable Network at 30,500 km, GlobeNet at 23,500 km, and the Asia-America Gateway Cable System at 20,000 km. While those systems bridge the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, HIFN fulfils a distinct function by providing inter-island connectivity within a geographically dispersed island state. Project Waterworth, the longest cable in the regional peer group at 50,000 km, further illustrates the difference in scale between transoceanic systems and a network purpose-built for intra-archipelago connectivity.

Strategic Role

By linking seven landing points across six Hawaiian islands in a single cable network, HIFN provides direct undersea connectivity between island communities that cannot rely on terrestrial infrastructure. The spread of landings across Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai allows telecommunications traffic to move between islands without routing through transoceanic systems. The dual-owner structure, combining a Hawaii-focused carrier with a nationally scaled operator, reflects the cable's role in both local service delivery and integration with the broader United States telecommunications network.