It’s one of several projects underway to upgrade and strengthen Hawaii’s digital connections, but a just-completed joint project between Hawaiian Telcom and the U.S. Navy stands out because it involves the most massive fiber-optic cable ever installed in the islands, and it’s been laid beneath Pearl Harbor.

The cable runs between Honolulu and West Oahu, enabling higher-speed data transmission for federal defense, state and private use. Partnering with the Navy allowed Hawaiian Telcom to complete this project, which cost several million dollars, and benefits the state in providing a more robust and secure communications channel.