Officials with the U.S. Department of Interior say they are serious about helping American Samoa connect to the undersea cable, that runs from the U.S. mainland and Hawai'i through Fiji and on to Australia.
The American Samoa governor Togiola Tulafono, is meeting officials in California this week to discuss the financing of connecting to the Southern Cross Cable.
The deputy assistant secretary for Insular Areas, David Cohen, says the agency is examining grant funds to help support the financing.
Mr Cohen says the DOI is keen to help because of the cable's importance to the economic future of American Samoa.
