NEC has completed construction of the East Micronesia Cable System (EMCS), a roughly 2,250-kilometer (1,398 mile) submarine cable network linking the Pacific island nations of Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The system connects Tarawa in Kiribati to Nauru, then onward through Kosrae to Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. The link has been handed to the region’s telecommunications operators, including FSM Telecommunications Cable Corporation, Bwebweriki Net Limited, and Cenpac Corporation.
The EMCS completion marks a major infrastructure upgrade for several Pacific island communities that have historically relied primarily on satellite connectivity, which can introduce higher latency, lower bandwidth capacity, and less reliable service.
For Kosrae and Nauru in particular, the system represents their first direct optical submarine cable connections. NEC and regional officials framed the project as both a connectivity initiative and an economic development effort aimed at accelerating digitalization in underserved Pacific markets.
Cenpac chair Zikki Eoe said there are “high expectations that this will significantly accelerate Nauru's economic development and digitalization going forward.”
