Prima, a telecom/data infrastructure firm, in collaboration with Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), has signed a contract for the establishment of what would be the first “smart” deployment of a subsea cable system: the Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) Subsea Cables initiative that seeks to revolutionize deep ocean observing by equipping transoceanic telecommunications cables with sensors to provide novel and persistent insights into the state of the ocean.

A press release said that the SMART cable will connect Vanuatu and New Caledonia, extending to Australia and Fiji. It will provide not just digital connectivity, but also vital environmental/seismic monitoring in the Pacific region. Prima is responsible for maintenance and operations of the ICN1 subsea cable system, which connects Vanuatu to Suva, Fiji, and has been operational since 2014. It is 100% owned and operated by the people of Vanuatu, a South Pacific Ocean nation made up of roughly 80 islands.