A signing ceremony by investors in a scheme to lay an undersea fibre optic cable from Samoa to Fiji was held in Apia this week.
The newly established Samoa Submarine Cable Company is being joined by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Australian government in the $US49 million deal.
Samoa prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said this public-private partnership could be a model for further development projects in Samoa.
The improved connectivity offered by the new cable is touted as a boost for the business and tourism sectors, and enabling improved access to information on health, education and job opportunities.
It is expected to come into service in a little over a year.
