The Cook Islands government is hoping a deal will be signed off next month to bring high-speed broadband to Samoa, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Niue.
The Cook Islands acting Prime Minister Mark Brown said there have been significant discussions between the countries over the past two weeks on the undersea cable project and he said Prime Minister Henry Puna was in Tahiti last week furthering talks with the French Polynesia's President Edouard Fritch.
Cook Islands finance minister Mark Brown Photo: Cook Islands News
Mr Brown said the Cook Islands hopes a memorandum would be signed next month on the cable.
He said it would cost the Cook Islands between $30 and 40 million.
"Each country will pay their share of the construction cost of the cable of course. The Cook Islands, we will be borrowing some of that component through the Asian Development Bank."
"We will have some of our money we will be putting in. But also we'll be looking at some equity partners to invest in the cable, in our component of the cable," he said.
Mr Brown said the cable would transform telecommunications, entertainment, health and education in the country.
He said the government would also have to look at possible negative social impacts including increased access to pornography and the transmission of unlawful content but he did not see them as major issues at present.
"For us, the internet, the connecting to the world, has really allowed our remote communities in the outer islands to be able to connect instantly with their families in Australia and New Zealand."
Mr Brown said the cable would allow people to connect more cheaply to the internet than via the current satellite connection.
"The costs are going to depend on how many users there are. So the more users, the more data that travels through the cables, the costs can be shared. So we're hoping the data speeds will encourage more usage," he said.
