Google to build subsea cables in Papua New Guinea under Australia defence treaty

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By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Papua New Guinea said on Friday that Alphabet’s Google will build three subsea cables, funded by Australia under a mutual defence treaty, in a key upgrade to the digital backbone of the biggest Pacific Island nation.

Australian and U.S. military strategists view resource-rich but largely under-developed Papua New Guinea (PNG) as having a prized location north of Australia at a time when China is boosting its influence in the region.

The $120-million effort will link northern and southern Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville autonomous region with high-capacity cables, said Peter Tsiamalili, PNG’s acting minister for information and communications technology.

“The entire investment (is) funded through Australia’s commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty,” he said in a statement, referring to the mutual defence pact signed in October.

The project reflected both nations’ shared commitment to advance digital security, regional stability, and national development, he added.

The subsea cables will be built by Google, the statement said, adding that Tsiamalili met Australian and U.S. diplomats to discuss the project at Google’s Australian office this week.

A Google Australia spokeswoman declined to comment on the PNG project.

Australia’s foreign affairs department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The three international-grade subsea cables will cut reliance on single points of failure, and position PNG to attract investment from hyper-scalers and global digital enterprises, Tsiamalili said.

The pact between Australia and PNG, known as the Pukpuk Treaty, gives Australian defence personnel access to PNG communications systems, including satellite stations and cables, its text shows.

Reuters previously reported Google planned to build a data hub on Australia’s Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island, another strategic defence location.

Two new cables are planned to link it eastwards with Australian cities hosting key defence bases also used by the U.S. military.

Google confirmed the Christmas Island data hub last month, saying two more cable systems would link its westwards with Africa and Asia, to “deepen the resilience” of internet infrastructure”.

The United States is also strengthening military ties with PNG, signing a defence cooperation pact in 2023.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)