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{{Short description|Undersea telephone cable system}}
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'''COMPAC''', the Commonwealth Pacific Cable System, was an undersea telephone cable system connecting [[Canada]] with [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]]. It was completed by closing the last gap in [[Honolulu Harbor]], [[Hawaii]], at 6:25&nbsp;a.m. B.S.T. on October 10, 1963. Public service of the cable commenced early in December 1963.<ref>Collins, Robert, A Voice from Afar: The History of Telecommunications in Canada, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1977, pp. 292-295.</ref>
{{redirect-distinguish|COMPAC|Compaq}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}


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'''COMPAC''', the '''Commonwealth Pacific Cable System''', was an [[Submarine communications cable|undersea telephone cable]] system connecting [[Canada]] with [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]]. It was completed by closing the last gap in [[Honolulu Harbor]], [[Hawaii]], at 6:25&nbsp;a.m. B.S.T. on October 10, 1963. Public service of the cable commenced early in December 1963.<ref>Collins, Robert, A Voice from Afar: The History of Telecommunications in Canada, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1977, pp. 292-295.</ref>
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The system cost a total of $100 million{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} and spanned 14,000 miles, from [[Oban]] in [[Scotland]] via CANTAT, by microwave link across Canada, then cable on to Hawaii, [[Suva]] ([[Fiji]]), [[Auckland]] (New Zealand), and [[Sydney]] (Australia). Three [[cable layer|cable ships]]-CS ''Mercury'', CS ''Retriever'', and HMTS ''Monarch''-did the job. The link contains 11,000 miles of telephone cable, which, at the time, provided 80 two-way speech channels or 1,760 [[teleprinter]] circuits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlantic-cable.com/Cables/1963COMPAC/index.htm |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - 1963 COMPAC Cable |publisher=Atlantic-cable.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-31}}</ref> In addition, the cable carries telegraph traffic, leased circuits for airlines, shipping companies and other commercial transmission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlantic-cable.com/stamps/Other/index2.htm |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - Stamps |publisher=Atlantic-cable.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-31}}</ref>

==History==

COMPAC was developed as a complementary system to [[CANTAT]], the system linking Canada to the United Kingdom, which had begun operating in December 1961.<ref name="EvolvingAuckland8.4">{{Cite book| editor-first=John| editor-last=La Roche |editor-link=John La Roche |title=Evolving Auckland: The City's Engineering Heritage |year=2011 |publisher=Wily Publications |chapter=COMPAC Submarine Telephone Cable System |first1=Neil |last1=Mander |pages=195–202 |isbn=9781927167038}}</ref> COMPAC was designed to extend west towards [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations in the Pacific, linking [[Vancouver]] to [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]] and [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], via [[Honolulu]] and [[Suva]] in [[Fiji]].<ref name="EvolvingAuckland8.4"/> The Auckland – Sydney section was completed in early 1962, followed by the Auckland – Suva section in July, with the entire system completed by October 1963.<ref name="EvolvingAuckland8.4"/>

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The system cost a total of $100 million.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} It spanned 14,000 miles, from [[Oban]] in [[Scotland]] via CANTAT to Newfoundland, by microwave link across Canada, then cable on to Hawaii, [[Suva]] ([[Fiji]]), [[Auckland]] (New Zealand), and [[Sydney]] (Australia). Three [[cable layer|cable ships]] (CS ''Mercury'', CS ''Retriever'', and [[CS Monarch (1945)|HMTS ''Monarch'']]) laid the cable. The link contains 11,000 miles of telephone cable, which, at the time, provided 80 two-way speech channels or 1,760 [[teleprinter]] circuits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlantic-cable.com/Cables/1963COMPAC/index.htm |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - 1963 COMPAC Cable |publisher=Atlantic-cable.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-31}}</ref> In addition, the cable carried telegraph traffic, leased circuits for airlines, shipping companies and other commercial transmission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlantic-cable.com/stamps/Other/index2.htm |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - Stamps |publisher=Atlantic-cable.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-31}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

{{Submarine communications cables in the Pacific Ocean}}


[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Pacific Ocean]]
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[[Category:Fiji–New Zealand relations]]
[[Category:Fiji–New Zealand relations]]
[[Category:Australia–New Zealand relations]]
[[Category:Australia–New Zealand relations]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in British Columbia]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Hawaii]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Fiji]]

Latest revision as of 10:19, 8 July 2023

"COMPAC" redirects here. Not to be confused with Compaq.

COMPAC, the Commonwealth Pacific Cable System, was an undersea telephone cable system connecting Canada with New Zealand and Australia. It was completed by closing the last gap in Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii, at 6:25 a.m. B.S.T. on October 10, 1963. Public service of the cable commenced early in December 1963.[1]

History[edit]

COMPAC was developed as a complementary system to CANTAT, the system linking Canada to the United Kingdom, which had begun operating in December 1961.[2] COMPAC was designed to extend west towards Commonwealth nations in the Pacific, linking Vancouver to Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia, via Honolulu and Suva in Fiji.[2] The Auckland – Sydney section was completed in early 1962, followed by the Auckland – Suva section in July, with the entire system completed by October 1963.[2]

The system cost a total of $100 million.[citation needed] It spanned 14,000 miles, from Oban in Scotland via CANTAT to Newfoundland, by microwave link across Canada, then cable on to Hawaii, Suva (Fiji), Auckland (New Zealand), and Sydney (Australia). Three cable ships (CS Mercury, CS Retriever, and HMTS Monarch) laid the cable. The link contains 11,000 miles of telephone cable, which, at the time, provided 80 two-way speech channels or 1,760 teleprinter circuits.[3] In addition, the cable carried telegraph traffic, leased circuits for airlines, shipping companies and other commercial transmission.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Collins, Robert, A Voice from Afar: The History of Telecommunications in Canada, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1977, pp. 292-295.
  2. ^ a b c Mander, Neil (2011). "COMPAC Submarine Telephone Cable System". In La Roche, John (ed.). Evolving Auckland: The City's Engineering Heritage. Wily Publications. pp. 195–202. ISBN 9781927167038.
  3. ^ "History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - 1963 COMPAC Cable". Atlantic-cable.com. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  4. ^ "History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - Stamps". Atlantic-cable.com. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
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