Washington: In a landmark convergence of technology and geopolitics, Alphabet’s Google has announced plans to lay three high-capacity subsea fiber-optic cables in Papua New Guinea (PNG), underpinned by US$120 million in funding from Australia as part of the recently signed Pukpuk mutual defense treaty. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure while simultaneously reinforcing strategic cooperation between Australia and PNG in the Pacific region.
The subsea cables are set to connect critical regions across PNG, including the northern and southern provinces and the autonomous region of Bougainville, providing robust and redundant connectivity. According to Peter Tsiamalili, PNG’s Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Australia’s funding will cover the entire project cost, highlighting the depth of bilateral collaboration under the Pukpuk Treaty, signed in October 2025.
Officials emphasize that the project will substantially reduce PNG’s dependence on single-point internet connections, thereby improving the reliability of telecommunications services nationwide. The enhanced connectivity is expected to open new avenues in education, healthcare, and economic development, particularly in underserved regions. By linking communities to global networks, the project is also expected to attract international digital enterprises and investment into PNG’s growing tech sector.
Beyond technology, the subsea cable initiative forms a strategic component of the Australia-PNG defense cooperation framework. Under the treaty, Australian defense personnel will gain partial access to the communications infrastructure, including cable and satellite systems, allowing for closer security collaboration and intelligence sharing. This move comes amid intensifying regional competition, particularly with China, which has been expanding its own digital and physical infrastructure footprint across the Pacific.
Australia’s foreign affairs department highlighted additional benefits, including reduced internet costs for local users, economic growth stimulation, and broader digital inclusion. The initiative is part of a broader strategy in the Pacific where both Australia and the United States are actively investing in subsea cables to strengthen regional resilience and connectivity while countering strategic influence from other global powers.
Analysts view the PNG subsea cable project as more than just a technological upgrade. It represents a strategic blueprint where digital infrastructure development, economic expansion, and regional security objectives converge. As construction begins, stakeholders in both government and private sectors will monitor the project closely, seeing it as a model for future collaborations that integrate digital progress with diplomatic and defence priorities in the Pacific.
The project is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with completion expected within the next two years, creating a transformative impact on Papua New Guinea’s connectivity landscape while solidifying Australia’s strategic role in the region.