Repair work begins on damaged undersea cable

The marine maintenance vessel engaged by the Solomon Islands Submarine Cable Company to repair the broken undersea cable has now arrived in Honiara.

According to SISCC, CS Lodbrog is in position near the fault.

It says on its FB page that the team turning on 25kHz tone on international cable so the two cables running close together can be uniquely identified. Adding, her ROV will be launched to do a close inspection then they will clamp on to the domestic to begin work.

The SISCC team were deployed to Noro and Auki yesterday and work began today. The repair should take about 5 days.

The repair comes following the breakage of the SIDN cable on 10th May by  the illegal anchoring of a fishing vessel between the Honiara no-anchoring marker buoys.

The boat, Purse seiner Fu Kuon No 808, is still detained off Rove waterfront.

Director of Solomon Islands Maritime Authority Thierry Nervale said the vessel is still under detention by SIMA and has been arrested by a Court Order.

“The master is being charged for the offences he committed in dropping the anchor in an access restricted area within which anchorage is not authorised,” he said.

The repair will ensure faster internet is resumed for those using the domestic cable.