As part of a historic defense agreement the Pacific nation inked with Australia this year, internet behemoth Google will install three underwater cables in Papua New Guinea.
According to a statement from the island government, the $120 million project would provide “a more resilient, multi-route digital backbone for the nation” and will be sponsored by Australia.
“This investment is a major step forward for Papua New Guinea,” the country’s Minister for Information and Communications Technology Peter Tsiamalili Jr said this week.
He added the cables — providing connectivity to northern and southern parts of Papua New Guinea, as well as the autonomous region of Bougainville — will lay the foundation for the country to become a “regional digital anchor”.
According to Tsiamalili, he met with US and Australian ambassadors last week to talk about Google’s “role as a partner for the submarine cable rollout” and the project at the company’s Sydney office.
Large telecom companies used to be the only ones that could build and run underwater cables, but in recent years, internet behemoths have mostly taken over as they try to keep up with the explosive growth of data traffic.
Around 1.4 million kilometers (almost 900,000 miles) of fiber-optic cables are installed on the ocean floor, allowing for the global transmission of vital services like public services, trade, and financial operations.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the national broadcaster ABC the cables would lower internet prices, increase economic growth and education opportunities.
The project is part of a wider mutual defence treaty both countries signed this year, Tsiamalili said.
The deal — known as the Pukpuk treaty — commits both countries to defending each other from armed attacks as they face “emerging threats” to their security and enables the nations’ citizens to serve in each other’s militaries.
It also ensures that “any activities, agreements or arrangements with third parties would not compromise the ability of either of the Parties to implement the Treaty” — a nod to China’s growing influence in the Pacific.
Canberra has stepped up its engagement with the Pacific region in a bid to counter Beijing’s influence.
To the north of Australia, Papua New Guinea is the largest and most populous state in Melanesia.
China has committed billions of dollars to Pacific nations over the past decade, funding hospitals, sports stadiums, roads and other public works in an attempt to win their favour.
It is an approach that appears to be paying dividends.
Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Nauru have all severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China in recent years.
Google have not responded to a request for comment.
