In a landmark infrastructure agreement, Alphabet’s Google has committed to building three undersea communication cables in Papua New Guinea, backed by Australian funding under the Pukpuk mutual defence treaty. The project — valued at around **US$120 million — is expected to dramatically enhance the country’s digital connectivity and Internet backbone.
The cables will link northern and southern regions of Papua New Guinea as well as the autonomous Bougainville region, creating a higher-capacity and more resilient network. Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology Peter Tsiamalili Jr. said the investment aligns with national development goals by lowering internet costs, boosting connectivity and attracting further foreign digital investment.
This initiative forms part of broader geopolitical and economic cooperation between Papua New Guinea, Australia and the United States, which are working to strengthen critical infrastructure while countering strategic competition in the Pacific region. The cables are expected to enable better access to digital services for businesses, education and government agencies, reinforcing Papua New Guinea’s digital transformation agenda.
Australian funding commitments include contributions to the Coral Sea Cable project, which already connects Papua New Guinea with nearby island states, underscoring Canberra’s strategic emphasis on regional digital resilience. Under the Pukpuk Treaty, Australia has also committed to financing forthcoming international cable links.
Improved subsea connectivity is seen as laying the foundation for future investment by other hyper-scale technology firms, potentially positioning Papua New Guinea as a hub for data exchange in the Pacific. Officials noted that enhanced digital infrastructure could spur growth in e-commerce, cloud services and remote working opportunities across the archipelago.
