Hawaii Island Fiber Network (HIFN) submarine cable is an undersea telecommunication cable system that connects the Hawaiian Islands to the mainland United States. The cable system spans approximately 2,500 miles, with landing points in Hawaii and Oregon.
HIFN was originally completed in 1995 and has undergone several upgrades since then, including the addition of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology in 2001, which increased capacity to 10 Gbps. In 2011, HIFN underwent a major upgrade, increasing its capacity to 40 Gbps.
The HIFN cable system is owned by Hawaiian Telcom and is a critical piece of infrastructure for the state of Hawaii, providing high-speed internet and telecommunication services to both residents and businesses. The cable system is also used for international traffic, connecting Hawaii to Asia and other parts of the world.
In addition to HIFN, there are several other submarine cable systems that connect Hawaii to the mainland United States and other countries, including the Southern Cross Cable, which connects Hawaii to Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific Crossing Cable, which connects Hawaii to Japan. These cable systems are essential for Hawaii's economy, enabling the state to compete globally in industries such as tourism, finance, and technology.