NIWA is a Cable Layer ship, registered in Abu Dhabi and constructed in 1989 arrives in Seychelles on 26 February 2021. The vessel has a carrying capacity of 7900 DWT, LOA of 145.66 meters and width of 21.6 meters.

Mahe Shipping Company has been appointed as agents for the vessel and as custom broker for the project to land a second fiber optic cable at Ile Perseverance. This cable will provide much needed security in connectivity for Seychelles.

The SEAS (Seychelles East Africa System) submarine cable system was the first optic fiber submarine cable system connecting the country. This is a point-to-point system connecting Seychelles (Beau Vallon) and Tanzania (Dar-Es-Salaam) with a length of almost 2,000km. It came into service in August  2012.  More than 90%  of the international telecommunications traffic of Seychelles is carried through the SEAS system, for which the only alternative is the use of satellites.

For more details see Today in Seychelles article of 4 March 2022 page 1 and page 2