Google to Build Subsea Cables in Papua New Guinea Funded by Australia
Google will construct three subsea internet cables across Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a $120 million project fully funded by Australia under the Pukpuk Treaty, the Pacific nation’s acting minister for information and communications technology, Peter Tsiamalili, said on Friday. The initiative aims to strengthen PNG’s digital infrastructure while bolstering regional security ties between Canberra and Port Moresby.
Boosting Digital Links and Regional Stability
The new high-capacity cables will connect northern and southern Papua New Guinea with the Bougainville autonomous region, enhancing connectivity and data speed across the country. Tsiamalili said the project represents a shared commitment between Australia and PNG to improve digital security, economic growth and national development.
“The entire investment is funded through Australia’s commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty,” he said, referring to the mutual defence pact signed in October. The treaty grants Australian defence personnel access to PNG’s communication systems, including satellite and cable networks, as part of broader defence cooperation.
The subsea systems, to be built by Alphabet’s Google, are expected to make internet access more affordable and reliable for local users. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs said the project would also promote education and investment, positioning PNG to attract global technology companies and “hyper-scalers”.
Strategic Interests in the Pacific
Australian and U.S. officials see Papua New Guinea as a key strategic location north of Australia, especially as China expands its economic and technological footprint across the Pacific. Both Canberra and Washington have invested heavily in subsea cable projects across the region to counter Beijing’s influence, which they regard as a potential security threat.
Australia has already committed more than A$450 million ($300 million) to strengthen undersea connectivity across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including the Coral Sea Cable linking PNG, the Solomon Islands and Australia. PNG’s current domestic submarine cable, built by China’s Huawei in 2018 and financed by a loan from China’s EXIM Bank, underscores Beijing’s earlier involvement in the nation’s digital infrastructure.
Expanding Regional Digital Networks
Google declined to comment on the PNG project, but the tech giant has been deepening its investment in the region’s digital backbone. Last month, Google announced plans to build a data hub on Christmas Island, connecting it to Australian cities that host major defence bases also used by the U.S. military. Two further subsea systems will extend westward toward Africa and Asia to “deepen the resilience” of the Indian Ocean’s internet infrastructure, the company said.
with inputs from Reuters
