ADB Signs Deal for 411km Tamtam Cable to Boost Vanuatu Connectivity and Disaster Alerts

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a financing package with Prima Limited to deliver the 411-kilometre Tamtam submarine cable, linking Port Vila, Vanuatu, to Lifou in New Caledonia — a project set to transform digital connectivity and strengthen disaster resilience across the Pacific island nation.

The agreement marks the first transaction under ADB's new Wayfinder (Pacific) Program, aimed at unlocking private sector investment through blended concessional finance.

First Wayfinder Project

"The Tamtam project in Vanuatu is a milestone as it is ADB's first transaction under our new Wayfinder Program," said ADB President Masato Kanda.

"It will ensure reliable internet connectivity while also improving disaster resilience, both of which are essential for ni-Vanuatu businesses and communities to prosper."

The financing package includes:

• Technical assistance support

• A $4.5 million loan from ADB's ordinary capital resources

• A reimbursable grant of up to $1.9 million from the private sector window of the Asian Development Fund

The Wayfinder Program is designed to de-risk strategic infrastructure projects in the Pacific and attract private investment into markets often viewed as high risk.

Strengthening Connectivity and Redundancy

The Tamtam cable will complement Vanuatu's existing submarine fibre-optic link to Fiji, ensuring telecommunications services remain operational if one cable experiences an outage.

The new link is scheduled to enter service in December 2027.

Enhanced connectivity is expected to:

• Improve internet reliability and speed

• Support digital services and e-commerce

• Strengthen business productivity

• Enhance access to education and government services

The project is also expected to generate local employment and support capacity-building initiatives, including programmes aimed at increasing female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

First Pacific Cable with SMART Sensor Technology

The Tamtam cable will be the first in the Pacific to incorporate Science Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) technology.

SMART sensors embedded in the cable will provide:

• Early warning data for natural hazards

• Monitoring of seismic activity

• Ocean temperature measurements

• Sea-level data

• Other climate-related environmental information

The data will be made freely available to scientific communities and civil protection authorities in both Vanuatu and New Caledonia, strengthening disaster preparedness in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions.

Local Expertise Driving Delivery

Prima Limited, established in Vanuatu in 2015, will lead the project. The company was originally formed to provide operations and maintenance services for the country's first submarine cable, the Interchange Cable Network 1.

Its local experience is expected to support efficient project delivery and long-term sustainability.

Backed by Asian Development Fund

The financing package draws on the Asian Development Fund (ADF), ADB's multi-donor facility that provides grants to the poorest and most vulnerable countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Between 2021 and 2024, the ADF helped:

• 384,000 people emerge from poverty

• Generate approximately 500,000 jobs

For Vanuatu, a small island developing state exposed to cyclones, earthquakes and rising sea levels, the Tamtam cable represents a dual investment in digital transformation and climate resilience.

The project signals a growing effort to combine telecommunications infrastructure with advanced environmental monitoring, positioning Vanuatu at the forefront of smart, resilient Pacific connectivity.