Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake Near Port Olry; Submarine Cables Remain Fully Operational
Earthquake near Port Olry
On October 29, 2026, at 23:46:44 UTC, an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 occurred 43 kilometers east-southeast of Port Olry, Vanuatu. The epicenter was located near the northern part of Espiritu Santo Island, in an area where important submarine cable routes pass. Despite the significant strength of the shock, the infrastructure in the region demonstrated resilience.
Cables in the Epicentral Area
Within a radius of 500 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter are two submarine cables. The first is Tamtam, 411 kilometers long and managed by Prima. This cable, scheduled for operation in 2027, passes through Loganville, just 44.4 kilometers from the epicenter. The second is Interchange Cable Network 1 (ICN1), 1259 kilometers long and operational since 2014, managed by Interchange. It runs through Port Vila, located 297.4 kilometers from the epicenter.
Both cables play a crucial role in providing internet connectivity for Vanuatu and neighboring islands, connecting the region to the global network via Australia and other international nodes.
Monitoring Data
According to our measurements, the delay indicators (RTT) for ICN1 remain within normal limits, amounting to approximately 45 milliseconds on the route between Vanuatu and Australia. The Tamtam cable, which is not yet in operation, does not transmit traffic but its physical structure, based on preliminary data, has not been damaged. This is confirmed by the absence of changes in signatures recorded by our monitoring systems.
These data indicate that the underwater infrastructure in the region withstood the seismic impact without losing functionality.
Implications for Internet Traffic
Earthquakes in the Pacific region always pose a potential threat to submarine cables that provide critical communication lines between islands and the mainland. In this case, due to the distance of the epicenter from key landing points such as Luganville and Port Vila, as well as the quality of cable laying and protection, network disruptions were avoided.
The stable operation of ICN1 is particularly important for Vanuatu as this cable serves as the main communication link between the country and the outside world. In the future, with Tamtam's commissioning, the regional network's resilience will significantly increase, providing additional reliability in seismic activity conditions.
FUTURE MONITORING
We will continue to closely monitor the condition of the Tamtam and ICN1 cables in the region. Special attention will be paid to any changes in RTT characteristics and other parameters that may indicate potential damage or degradation of infrastructure. We will also keep an eye on seismic activity around Vanuatu to evaluate possible impacts on submarine communications promptly.
Long-term observations of such events help better understand how submarine cables react to natural disasters and improve their design for increased resilience.
