Tamtam: Planned Connectivity Across Vanuatu and New Caledonia
The Tamtam submarine cable is a planned telecommunications system designed to connect multiple islands in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Owned by Prima, the cable is scheduled to be ready for service in 2027, according to GeoCables data. It will provide a new route for data transmission within the region, potentially enhancing connectivity for island communities and complementing existing infrastructure.
What makes Tamtam noteworthy is its focus on regional connectivity, linking five landing points across Vanuatu and New Caledonia. However, several technical details, including its design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier, remain undisclosed in publicly available sources. This lack of transparency about the cable's specifications leaves room for speculation about its ultimate impact on regional telecommunications.
Quick facts
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Route
The Tamtam cable will connect five landing points: Luganville, Norsup, Port Vila, and Tanna in Vanuatu, as well as We in New Caledonia. These locations span across two Pacific island nations, providing inter-island connectivity and linking them to the global telecommunications network. Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, is already a hub for submarine cable activity, hosting the Interchange Cable Network 1 (ICN1). Similarly, We in New Caledonia is connected to Gondwana-2/Picot-2, making Tamtam a complementary addition to the region's existing infrastructure.
Why it was built and what it carries
Tamtam is being developed to address the growing demand for reliable and high-speed internet connectivity in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. These island nations rely heavily on submarine cables for international and inter-island communication, as satellite services often face limitations in bandwidth and latency. While the cable’s design capacity is not publicly disclosed, it is expected to support broadband internet, mobile telecommunications, and other data services essential for economic and social development in the region.
History: what can be established
GeoCables data indicates that Tamtam is planned to be ready for service in 2027. As of now, the cable is not operational, and there is no alternative timeline from industry sources to suggest otherwise. The lack of publicly available information about the cable's development progress or supplier further limits the ability to verify this timeline. It is common for submarine cable projects to face delays due to logistical, environmental, or regulatory challenges, but no such issues have been reported for Tamtam thus far.
Capacity and technology
The design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier for Tamtam have not been disclosed in public sources. Without operator documentation, it is impossible to state these specifications with certainty. However, based on industry trends, modern submarine cables typically feature multiple fiber pairs and high-capacity systems capable of supporting terabits per second of data transmission. Whether Tamtam will align with these trends remains unknown.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way latency for light propagation over Tamtam's 411 km wet segment is approximately 2.0 milliseconds, resulting in a round-trip time (RTT) floor of around 4.0 milliseconds. However, real-world latency will be higher due to additional factors such as land-based network infrastructure, terminal equipment processing, and routing inefficiencies.
GeoCables' live measurements of RTT between Sydney and Luganville show a minimum of 22.8 milliseconds, which is significantly higher than the theoretical floor. This discrepancy is expected, as the measurements reflect the entire internet path, including terrestrial and other submarine cable segments, rather than the Tamtam cable itself. Similarly, RTT measurements from other global locations to Luganville-ranging from 114.4 milliseconds (Singapore) to 480.3 milliseconds (Cape Town)-include multiple network hops and are not indicative of Tamtam’s performance.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If Tamtam experiences a fault, redundancy in the region will depend on existing cables such as the Interchange Cable Network 1 (ICN1) at Port Vila and Gondwana-2/Picot-2 at We. These cables provide alternative routes for international connectivity, but they may not fully compensate for the loss of inter-island links within Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized vessels to locate and fix the fault, a process that can take weeks depending on the severity of the damage and weather conditions.
Bottom line
- Tamtam is a planned submarine cable connecting Vanuatu and New Caledonia, expected to be ready for service in 2027.
- Owned by Prima, the cable will land at five points: Luganville, Norsup, Port Vila, Tanna, and We.
- Key technical details, including design capacity and fiber pair count, are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency over the wet segment is approximately 4.0 ms RTT, but real-world performance will be higher.
- Redundancy will rely on existing cables such as ICN1 and Gondwana-2/Picot-2.