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Vanuatu woke up this week to a big headline: “Gov’t details Tamtam Submarine Cable ownership and security.” Most people will read it and think: “Ok, new internet cable, cheaper data, move on.”

But hidden inside that story is something much bigger – a piece of technology that could literally help save lives when the next earthquake or tsunami hits us: the world’s first SMART subsea cable between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
This blog focuses on that part — and the questions that come with it.

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1. More than just “fasta internet”

Tamtam is not a normal cable.

Yes, it provides extra international bandwidth and redundancy alongside our existing Fiji link, reducing dependency on a single route [1]. But the real game-changer is the SMART component:

SMART = Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications [2]

SMART cables integrate scientific instruments inside the cable repeaters positioned on the seafloor. These sensors typically measure:

• Seafloor pressure — detects deep-ocean tsunami waves [3]
• Seismic acceleration — detects undersea earthquakes & landslides [4]
• Temperature — long-term ocean warming and climate data [5]

Instead of relying solely on tidal gauges and land stations, SMART cables put instruments directly on the seafloor, where hazards originate [6].

For a tectonically active country like Vanuatu — sitting next to a major subduction trench — this is transformative.

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2. What will the Tamtam cable actually do?

According to global SMART cable documentation and initial project details [7][8][9], the Tamtam cable will:

• Connect Port Vila ↔ Lifou (New Caledonia) with potential branching
• Incorporate Climate Change Nodes (CC Nodes) containing multiple SMART sensors
• Provide real-time hazard data for tsunami and earthquake monitoring
• Feed data into VMGD, Pacific Tsunami Warning Centers, and international science networks

In practical terms, Tamtam can:

• Improve tsunami detection in deep water, offering seconds to minutes of earlier warning [10]
• Detect submarine earthquakes near their origin, improving accuracy of alerts [11]
• Provide continuous real-time ocean data critical for climate modelling [12]

These are not small gains — these are life-saving gains.

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3. Ownership: who actually controls this lifeline?

The Daily Post article confirms the updated Interchange Limited (ICL) shareholding structure [13]:

• VNPF – 300 shares
• Government of Vanuatu – 300 shares
• Vanuatu Post – 100 shares
• Fidelity Pacific Life – 100 shares

The Government also reaffirmed that full ownership of the cable and national data centres must ultimately be with the state [14].

The construction is undertaken by:

• Prima (Vanuatu-based infrastructure operator) [15]
• Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) (global subsea cable manufacturer) [16]
• Marine surveying by Ocean Marine Surveyors (OMS) [17]

Funding support reportedly includes:

• French Government – approx. €18 million toward the SMART components [18]
• EU/ EIB / ADB involvement in broader digital resilience programs [19]

This creates a hybrid structure:
Government stakes + private operators + foreign funding + international science networks.

It is not wrong — but it does require stronger transparency so the public understands how decisions are made.

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4. SMART data: the new sovereignty question

According to the SMART Cables Joint Task Force and scientific governance documents, SMART data is expected to be open-access for global science and early-warning centres [20].

While that benefits the world, it also raises sovereignty questions for Vanuatu:

1. Who owns the raw sensor data?

Some SMART projects grant ownership to host nations; others use shared arrangements. Every Pacific nation must define this clearly [21].

2. Who gets priority real-time access?

VMGD must have guaranteed, uninterrupted access for national warning systems. This requires binding agreements [22].

3. Where is data stored?

If initial processing happens offshore, sovereignty risks increase. Data protection and cyber-security laws must cover SMART data [23].

Given Vanuatu’s previous cyber breaches and global analysis showing vulnerabilities in Pacific digital systems [24], robust safeguards are essential.

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5. Will Tamtam actually lower prices?

Every time new infrastructure arrives, the promise is the same: cheaper data.

But cheaper internet depends on:

• Wholesale pricing decisions by the cable owners [25]
• TRBR regulatory policy [26]
• ISP competition dynamics [27]

More capacity eliminates one excuse — but it does not guarantee consumer price reductions without strong regulatory enforcement.

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6. A chance to link safety, science, and sovereignty

Despite concerns, the Tamtam SMART cable is a historic breakthrough.

It can:

• Put Vanuatu at the global forefront of tsunami-ready telecom infrastructure [28]
• Strengthen climate diplomacy with high-quality ocean data [29]
• Provide resilience during disasters when other cables fail [30]

But success depends on:

1. Radical transparency

Clear public diagrams, governance summaries, and bilingual (English/Bislama) explanations.

2. Public oversight

Stakeholder inclusion: VMGD, universities, civil society, scientists, chiefs.

3. Data sovereignty laws

Explicit legislation defining ownership, access rights, and cyber-security responsibilities.

4. Linking tech to daily life

Showing how SMART data improves warning times, coastal safety, and internet reliability.

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7. Final thought

We like to say:
“Vanuatu i smol, be i big long saed blong climate, culture mo resilience.”

Tamtam embodies the same paradox:
A small island nation hosting one of the world’s first SMART subsea cables.

The technology is powerful.
The science is exciting.
But the question is political:

Can we turn this cable into a tool that genuinely protects and serves the people of Vanuatu — not just investors, donors, or foreign partners?

If we get governance, sovereignty, and transparency right, Tamtam could become a global model for how small nations lead in digital-climate innovation.

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References / Citations List

[1] Submarine Cable redundancy principles – ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector
[2] SMART Cables Joint Task Force – Definition of SMART cables (UNESCO/ITU/WMO)
[3] Seafloor pressure sensing for tsunami detection – Journal of Ocean Engineering
[4] Accelerometer data in submarine cables – Geophysical Research Letters
[5] Ocean temperature monitoring via SMART repeaters – Ocean Observing Initiative
[6] Pacific Tsunami Warning Center statements on deep-ocean detection
[7] University of Hawaiʻi SOEST – Pacific SMART cable framework
[8] ASN technical briefs on SMART-enabled repeaters
[9] Interchange Limited publications on proposed SMART system
[10] Tsunami early-warning improvement from SMART cables – Nature Communications
[11] Sub-seafloor quake detection performance – Seismological Society of America
[12] Long-term ocean climate data from subsea instruments – IPCC supporting documents
[13] Daily Post – Government clarification on ICL shareholding
[14] COM decision on state control over national data centres
[15] Prima company profile – Vanuatu-based digital infrastructure operator
[16] Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) global project portfolio
[17] Ocean Marine Surveyors – cable route survey documentation
[18] French Government press notes on Indo-Pacific digital initiatives
[19] ADB/EIB digital connectivity financing in the Pacific
[20] SMART Cables JTF – Data governance and open-access policy
[21] UN Ocean Decade legal framework for ocean data sovereignty
[22] Pacific Tsunami Warning Center requirements for national access
[23] Cyber-security risk papers on Pacific data systems – Lowy Institute
[24] 2022 Vanuatu Government cyber breach reports
[25] ITU guidelines on wholesale pricing for subsea cable markets
[26] TRBR regulations on telecom pricing and competition
[27] GSMA Pacific Market Reports on ISP competition
[28] UN Ocean Decade recognition of SMART cables as breakthrough tech
[29] IPCC climate modelling needs for ocean temperature & pressure data
[30] Case studies of cable resilience after disasters (Tonga, PNG)

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